WarSclerotic

Rocket explodes in southern Israel | The Times of Israel.

No casualties or damage reported; security forces checking whether projectile came from Gaza or increasingly volatile Sinai

Illustrative photo of a rocket fired from Gaza City toward Israel, August 9, 2014. (AP/Dusan Vranic)

A rocket exploded in Israeli territory near the Gaza Strip Friday afternoon, and security officials were checking whether the launch had come from the Palestinian territory or the Sinai peninsula.

There were no reports of casualties or damage in the attack.

The launch set off “Color Red” warning sirens in the Eshkol Regional Council, which borders the southern Gaza Strip as well as the Egyptian peninsula. Security teams were scouring the area for the impact site.

Palestinian media also reported explosions in northern Gaza, according to Walla News.

There has recently been in increase in sporadic attacks by terror elements in the Strip. Recent weeks have seen several rocket launches from Gaza, the first significant attacks since the conclusion of the war between Israel and armed groups in the coastal territory last summer.

In each incident, one or two projectiles were fired at Israel. The IDF has at times responded with limited aerial strikes in response.

While the IDF believes Hamas is not directly involved in the attacks, as it is not interested in another round of violence, the defense establishment has repeatedly said it holds Hamas solely responsible for any violence coming out of the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is de facto in control.

The Israeli military is also increasingly wary of attacks from jihadists in Sinai, where a deadly assault by an Islamic State-affiliated group Wednesday killed over 70 Egyptian troops.

On Thursday the Israel Defense Forces ordered the closure of Highway 12, which runs along the border with Egypt, until further notice. It also upped its presence along the border, as security officials cautioned that the IS-affiliated group Wilayat Sinai could attempt to overrun the Gaza Strip.

AP contributed to this report.

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