Jerusalem: Militants in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets at the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on Sunday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
The rockets triggered warning sirens in the city, but no injuries or damage were reported. “Two projectiles were identified crossing from northern Gaza into Israeli territory,” the IDF said, adding that one was intercepted while the other fell into the sea off the coast of Ashkelon.
Ashkelon was one of the most heavily targeted Israeli cities in the early stages of the Gaza war, which began on October 7, 2023. However, rocket fire has significantly decreased recently, with no launches reported for about six weeks until Sunday’s attack, Xinhua news agency reported.
The attack occurred as Qatar, Egypt, and the US indicated they were close to presenting a new ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas, which would also secure the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to continue the war until achieving “total victory” over Hamas and has rejected demands by Hamas and Egypt for Israel to withdraw its forces from the border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
The IDF has withdrawn many of its forces from the Palestinian enclave but continues to carry out daily ground and air strikes.
–IANS