Three Palestinians injured in Israeli air strikes

Israel carries out heavy bombardment on Palestinian territory after a rocket launched earlier on Monday from Gaza hit an open area along the Israeli border but caused no casualty or damage.

Palestinians run as smoke rises following what police said was an Israeli air strike on a suspected Hamas post, in the northern Gaza Strip, February 6, 2017.
TRT World and Agencies

Palestinians run as smoke rises following what police said was an Israeli air strike on a suspected Hamas post, in the northern Gaza Strip, February 6, 2017.

Three Palestinians were injured in about a dozen Israeli army air strikes in Gaza Strip on Monday, medical sources in the Hamas-run territory said.

The Israeli attack came after a rocket was launched earlier on Monday from Gaza and hit an open area along the Israeli border, causing no casualties or damage.

"In response to the projectile fired towards southern Israeli communities earlier today, the air force targeted three Hamas posts in the northern Gaza Strip," the Israeli military said in a statement.

The military cautioned it "will not tolerate rocket fire towards civilians."

Hamas said Israel's action risked a new round of conflict.

"This Israeli escalation in Gaza is dangerous and must be stopped," Hamas's spokesman Fawzy Barhum said.

Gaza residents said a security compound and an observation post belonging to Hamas were hit.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the rocket fired from Gaza.

Israel accuses Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, for bearing the responsibility of Israel's disproportional retaliation against Palestinians.

The fresh exchange of fire sparked tensions along the Israeli border with Gaza. Witnesses said traffic remained thin on the streets and people stayed inside their homes as they feared more attacks, according to Haaretz.

Before Monday, the most recent rocket fire from Gaza into Israel occurred in October.

Israel and Hamas fought three wars since 2008.

Hamas has been observing a defacto ceasefire with Israel since 2014.

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