Mortar shells were fired at IDF troops along the Gaza border shortly after the IDF uncovered a new Hamas terror tunnel, pictured here. Photo: IDF Spokesperson.

JNS.org – Less than 24 hours after the IDF announced Thursday that Israeli forces had discovered a second cross-border Hamas terror tunnel, mortar shells were fired at IDF troops operating along the Gaza border Friday morning.

No one was hurt and no damage was reported in the incident. The Israeli Air Force retaliated by striking Hamas observation outposts inside Gaza.

Over the last two days, IDF troops sustained 12 separate mortar shell attacks in the area, which had been relatively calm since the end of the 2014 Operation Protective Edge. The 12 attacks, involving 16 shells, constituted double the total number of mortars that had been fired into Israel since the beginning of the year.

The escalation in violence over recent days prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce Thursday he would convene an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the recent security challenges. The cabinet ministers were to meet with top defense officials on Friday to devise Israel’s continued policy in the face of the events and IDF operations in the Strip.