Palestinians fire a barrage of rockets into Israel; Israel responds with tank fire, killing 4 terrorists

(JPost) A barrage of rockets fired from Gaza landed in a slew of southern Israeli cities on Saturday night, as violence continued to escalate along the Gaza Strip border following an anti-tank missile attack against an IDF jeep earlier on Saturday.

Channel 10 reported 14 rockets fired at Ashkelon, Ashdod, Sderot, the Eshkol Regional Council area and the Be'er Tuviya area, while other Israeli media outlets estimated a lower number. No injuries or damage were reported.

At least two of the rockets were Grad rockets, one of which was intercepted near Ashdod by the Iron Dome, according to the IDF.

Earlier on Saturday, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired an anti-tank missile at an IDF jeep carrying out an ordinary patrol on the Israeli side of the border, striking the vehicle directly and injuring four soldiers.

One soldier was in serious condition with a head injury, one is moderately wounded, and two are lightly injured. They were airlifted to the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba.

Immediately afterwards, tanks opened fire on the area from which the missile was fired. Tanks also fired on pre-selected targets in the Sa'ajiya area of Gaza near Nahal Oz. Palestinian sources said four people were killed in the return fire, and 25 others were injured.

Following the incident, the IDF asked Gaza envelope residents in the Eshkol region and in Sha'ar Hanegev to be within 15 seconds away from shelters, Army Radio reported.

Islamic Jihad is believed to be behind the latest attack. The IDF views the incident as a severe escalation, and as part of a wider, stepped-up terrorist initiative to target its forces along the border.

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