Sirens in Southern Israel Disrupt Ceasefire

Despite the ceasefire declared by both sides Thursday morning, five rockets were fired towards the western Negev, the IDF said. According to the military, two of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

There were no reports of injuries from this barrage.

There was no claim of responsibility for the latest barrage of rockets from Gaza.

Minister Ofir Akunis said that Israel must retaliate if the rocket fire – in violation of the ceasefire – is determined to have been carried out by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group.

“If the fire at Netivot was carried out by Islamic Jihad, we must respond with IDF strikes,” Akunis told Army Radio in an interview. “That we agreed to a ceasefire doesn’t mean that we have to leave the field open to their mad whims.”

Police sappers were called to a daycare facility in Netivot after reports that rocket fragments were found there. B’chasdei Shamayim, the daycare was empty of children at the time of the rocket fire.

IDF Spokesman Hadi Zilberman said that although there is a ceasefire, “the IDF is maintaining a high level of awareness, ready to respond if the ceasefire is broken.”