Iron Dome intercepts Gaza missiles; IDF strikes back

Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system blocked two missiles fired into Israel shortly before noon on Friday. A third landed in a community bordering Gaza. No injuries were reported, but a building was damaged.

The Code Red alarms were sounded during a ceremony marking the would-be 24th birthday of IDF soldier Oron Shaul, whose body has been held by Hamas in Gaza since Operation Protective Edge. 

Before the incident, Oron’s mother told the crowd, “We’re here to mark his birthday. We’ve decided to come here so we can be as close to Oron as possible. Our message is one of peace, brotherhood and camaraderie. We’re not here to lash out at anyone. We just want Oron returned home,” Ynet News reported.

Israeli intelligence believes the rockets fired in recent weeks were launched by terror groups other than Hamas.

Israel holds Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, responsible and retaliated in the early afternoon with a series of strikes targeting Hamas in northern Gaza.