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The Israel Defense Forces attacked Hamas targets in Gaza early Sunday morning, hours after rockets were fired at southern and central Israel from the Strip. No injuries or damage were reported in Israel.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said the Hamas targets included underground infrastructure and military positions.
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Shrapnel lies on the ground in Bat Yam after the Iron Dome missile defense system intercepts rockets fired from Gaza at Israel
As air raid sirens blared in Israel at around 2am local time, the Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted rocket fire targeting the southern city of Ashdod and areas of central Israel, with eyewitnesses reporting loud explosions as far north as the city of Bat Yam, not far from Tel Aviv.
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The Iron Dome intercepts a rocket fired from Gaza
(Photo: Amit Anu)
The military has been on high alert on the first anniversary of the IDF killing of Islamic Jihad military commander Baha Abu al-Ata in Gaza City.
The army killed Abu al-Ata in a Gaza airstrike on November 12, 2019, initiating a military campaign in the Hamas-controlled enclave, which the IDF labeled "Operation Black Belt."
Abu al-Ata was considered extremely radical even by the terror group's standards and oversaw numerous attacks on Israeli targets, including sniper attacks on IDF troops, drone attacks and thousands of rockets.
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Islamic Jihad fighters in Gaza marking the first anniversary of the killing of Baha Abu al-Ata last week
(Photo: Reuters)
Preparedness for a possible escalation was also felt at Israel's main Ben-Gurion Airport, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
Aircraft traffic in the area was redirected in some instances, a procedure taken often during cross-border rounds of fighting in Gaza.
First published: 07:47, 11.15.20