Israeli army says it detected 7 projectiles fired from Gaza

By Abdelraouf Arna'out

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army on Thursday said it detected a number of rockets fired from Gaza but that all failed to cross into Israel.

In a statement, the Israeli army said a total of seven projectiles it detected were surface-to-air rockets, all of which exploded in the air, adding that two of them were fired in the direction of the Mediterranean Sea and the others toward Israeli areas.

Raid sirens were activated in the settlement areas adjacent to Gaza, it also said.

Late on Wednesday, the army said two projectiles were fired from Gaza, with one failing to cross into Israel and the other landed in an open area near the fence with Gaza.

The development came as Israeli forces stormed the Al-Qibli Prayer Hall in the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem and forcibly removed Palestinian worshippers for two nights in a row.

Israeli warplanes struck Gaza early Wednesday in what it said was a response to at least 10 rockets launched from Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara