Israeli jets strike Gaza in retaliation for mortar fire

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Air Force struck three of what it called Hamas “terrorist infrastructures” in Gaza in response to a mortar shell fired from the coastal strip into southern Israel.

The mortar landed in Israeli territory near the border with Gaza late Wednesday. No one was injured in the attack.

Hours later, Israeli fighter planes struck the sites in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Israel Defense Forces. There were no reports about injuries or damage.

The Israel Defense Forces “sees the terrorist organization Hamas as solely responsible for what takes place in the Gaza Strip and will continue to act severely in order to maintain quiet in the southern communities,” the IDF said in a statement.

The last time a rocket was fired from Gaza into Israel was August. It landed in a residential area in the southern Israeli town of Sderot.