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Itongadol.- The IDF said it identified on Thursday morning a rocket launch from the central Gaza Strip into the Mediterranean Sea. This was the fourth such launch from the coastal territory in the past day the IDF spokesperson said.
The army said that the launches suggest that "Gaza terrorists are experimenting in order to increase rocket launching capabilities."
Last month, code red alerts sent tremors across the Gaza border, as residents in southern Israel fled to shelters for cover, a scene reminiscent of the 50-day war that dominated the summer.
In that case, the sirens turned out to be false alarms, likely triggered by rocket launching tests within the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave.
Israel believes that Hamas has deployed forces near the border fence to prevent rocket fire and maintain quiet. However, Hamas is continuing to launch test rockets into the sea and is also acting to renew weapons smuggling into Gaza.
According to an Army Radio report from earlier this month, Hamas is smuggling into the coastal territory, dual-use products that can be used both for rehabilitating the Strip\’s rockets and tunnels, as well as for civilian rebuilding purposes.
Hamas is working to rehabilitate its military capabilities, while telling the public in Gaza that its focus is on civilian rehabilitation, according to the report.