Terrorists in south Gaza fire five rockets at Ashdod

Terrorists in the southern Gaza Strip fired five rockets that crossed into Israeli territory on Sunday, setting off sirens in communities just east of the coastal city of Ashdod.

IDF Home Front Command alerts sounded in the Shefala (lowlands) communities of Moshav Bitzaron, Gan Yavne, Kibbutz Hatzor, Moshav Azrikam, Moshav Sde Uziyahu and Moshav Shtulim.

According to the IDF, a strike was detected in the Hof Ashkelon region, with no injuries reported. According to reports, one rocket hit an open area near Route 4, setting off a bushfire.

The attack is believed to have originated from Khan Yunis, from where IDF troops withdrew last week after a brief operation in which more than 150 terrorists were killed.

Troops from the 98th Paratroopers Division dismantled Hamas tunnels, weapons storage facilities and terrorist infrastructure during the operation, in addition to seizing weapons caches.

Following the barrage, the Ashdod municipality said it was opening public shelters for residents. They have not experienced incoming rocket alerts in months amid the IDF’s activities in Gaza, which include destroying the rocket-launching capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The barrage comes as Israel remains on high alert in anticipation of an attack by Iran and its regional proxies, including the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah.

The IDF has in recent months taken control of the Rafah border crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor running along the Egyptian border. The IDF spokesman said on Sunday that a three-meter-high tunnel was located last week by forces in the area of the Philadelphi Corridor.

“Recently, the forces of the 162nd [Armored] Division and the Yahalom [special operations engineering] unit have been working to locate and destroy an underground route in the Philadelphi area. So far they have located and destroyed dozens of underground tunnels. The IDF will thoroughly destroy all the underground infrastructure in the Philadelphi axis and will act resolutely to prevent their formation in the future,” the IDF spokesperson said.

Oct. 7 terrorist killed

The IDF said on Sunday that last week a Hamas terrorist who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre in the northwestern Negev was killed in an airstrike.

Ismail Nofal died in the Nuseirat area. He was responsible for rocket launches at Israel, according to the army.

The Israeli Air Force overnight Saturday also struck an operative who conducted terrorist activities in Deir al-Balah and killed several armed terrorists in central Gaza as troops dismantled a Hamas weapons storage facility.

Terrorists were also killed in the Rafah area and terrorist infrastructure was dismantled.

In the past 24 hours, the IAF attacked 50 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including cells, “military” structures, observation posts and infrastructure.