At least three people were injured Thursday after the Israeli army bombed a number of targets in the blockaded Gaza strip, according to a Palestinian Health Ministry official.
The injuries are not life-threatening, said ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Kudra in a statement.
The Israeli army said earlier on Thursday that “the Israel Air Force and tanks have attacked four terrorist targets in Gaza,” in retaliation for alleged rocket fire from the Palestinian territory.
“The attack was carried out in response to high-trajectory fire at an Israel Defense Forces post at the northern end of Gaza,” the army said in a statement.
The army generally holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire originating from Gaza.
Mortar shells fired from the Gaza Strip struck a military post in southern Israel without causing casualties, according to Israeli officials.
"Several mortar shells were fired at a military post north of the Gaza Strip [in southern Israel] without causing injuries," Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adarai said in another statement earlier on Thursday.
In the immediate wake of the incident, he added, air-raid sirens were sounded in Israeli towns situated close to Gaza’s borders.
No group has claimed responsibility for the alleged rocket attack, while Palestinian officials have yet to comment on the army’s assertions.