Hamas terrorists. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – The Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck a Hamas terror base in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday in response to a rocket fired from the coastal territory towards Israel earlier in the day.

The rocket fired from Gaza struck an open area in the Eshkol Regional Council. No injuries or property damage were reported.

Israeli residents near the area were caught by surprise by the rocket fire as a code red warning siren did not sound ahead of time. The siren reportedly did not go off because the rocket’s trajectory was aimed at an unpopulated area.

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot on Tuesday described calls for a stronger military response to the recent wave of rocket fire from Gaza as “irresponsible.”

“We do not need to rush into things, but if we have to, we have the tools to do so,” said Eizenkot.

The IAF’s retaliatory strike on Tuesday came after the Israeli military struck Hamas targets in Gaza last Saturday night in Israel’s second response to rockets fired from the coastal territory towards the Jewish state last Friday.

After conducting the retaliatory strikes last weekend, the IDF stated that Iran is inciting a new war between Gaza-based Palestinian terror groups and Israel. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the rockets fired from Gaza last Friday were supplied by Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel holds Gaza-ruling Hamas responsible for all rocket fire emanating from the territory, reiterating the government’s longstanding policy.