The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted a rocket fired from Gaza toward the Tel Aviv metropolitan area on Sunday. There were no immediate reports of injury, but a vehicle in the Holon area was damaged by shrapnel.
Another rocket was fired at Ashkelon a short while later and severely damaged a house.
A siren was activated in Tel Aviv and the vicinity at 10:31 am, shortly before the rocket was intercepted. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had fired an M75-type rocket, which the terror group says is manufactured in Gaza.
The explosion was heard throughout the entire Tel Aviv area. "I was at home in the \’old north\’ (area of Tel Aviv) when the siren sounded," a resident told Ynet. "The siren was followed by an explosion that shook the windows."
The vehicle that was hit by the rocket shrapnel caught fire, but the driver was able to get out in time. Firefighters were alerted to the scene, as were sappers who gathered the shrapnel.
Boris, who works at a garage in Bat Yam, said shrapnel from the rocket landed nearby. "I was at work, and we suddenly heard a siren," he told Ynet. "We ran to the secure room, and came out when the siren ended. Then we heard a boom and part of the ceiling, which is made of Asbestos, collapsed.
At around 11 am it was reported that Israeli aircraft attacked the launcher that was used to fire the rocket at the Tel Aviv area
Earlier Sunday, a four-storey building in Ashkelon sustained a direct hit from a rocket fired by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza. Two people sustained light shrapnel wounds in the attack, and five others suffered from anxiety.
Another rocket landed near a different residential building and damaged parked cars. Two additional projectiles that were launched toward the city were intercepted by Iron Dome.
Rockets were also fired at the Sdot Negev, Hof Ashkelon and Eshkol regional councils.
The Iron Dome intercepted several other rockets fired toward Israeli communities, including Ashdod, Gan Yave and Hof Ashkelon.