Israel closes off Gaza border gate citing missile attacks

By Abdel Ra'ouf Arnaut and Hamdi Yildiz

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel announced that it closed off the Beit Hanoun border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip as of Monday until further notice.

The decision was taken due to missiles launched from Gaza, Israel's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories Office in Jerusalem said in a statement.

The statement added that the gate will remain closed except for humanitarian and exceptional circumstances until further notice.

The Israeli army reported early Monday that alarm systems played sirens in the Sderot city and other regions. The army's statement did not mention a reason for the incident.

On Sunday, an Israeli warplane targeted the observation post of the Izzuddin al-Qassam Brigades, an armed wing of the resistance group Hamas in central Gaza.

The Israeli army justified the hit by contending that it was struck by a missile attack from the Gaza Strip that hit Israeli territories.

*Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara