Iron Dome battery. Photo: Israel Defense Forces.

JNS.org –  The Israel Defense Forces said it is deploying two new Iron Dome missile defense system batteries in southern Israel amid an increased threat of rocket attacks from Gaza.The move comes as Salafi terrorists in Gaza who have aligned with Islamic State claimed responsibility for the June 3 launching of two rockets at Israel and vowed more attacks. The Islamic State supporters are also in the midst of fighting Gaza-ruling Hamas.

Ironically, Hamas is attempting to prevent the rocket fire in order to avoid igniting another costly war with Israel while the Palestinian terrorist group attempts to rebuild its terror infrastructure.

Meanwhile, a Hamas terrorist was killed on Friday when a “resistance tunnel” collapsed on him, according to Hamas’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, AFP reported. The tunnel was located in Gaza’s Shejaiya neighborhood, which saw heavy fighting during last year’s war between Israel and Hamas.

One of Israel’s main objectives during the war was dismantling Hamas’s vast network of terror tunnels, many of which extended into Israel. But soon after the conflict, Hamas resumed rebuilding the tunnels.

Egypt has also destroyed some 1,600 tunnels that ran between Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula, which are mainly used to smuggle weapons and goods into Gaza.