Palestinian rocket fired from Gaza explodes near Beersheba

Rocket lands in open territory outside Negev city; police response team identifies impact zone; no injuries or damages reported.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN, JPOST.COM STAFF
Grad rocket in Beersheba 311 (photo credit: Yasser Okbi/Israel Post)
Grad rocket in Beersheba 311
(photo credit: Yasser Okbi/Israel Post)
A Palestinian rocket fired from Gaza fell outside of Beersheba on Monday night, activating air raid sirens and sending residents fleeing for cover.
A Negev police spokeswoman said that the rocket fired from Gaza landed in open territory. A police response team identified the rocket impact zone.
RELATED:Iron Dome battery moved south after Gaza-rocket attacks
No injuries or damages were reported.
Beersheba is located approximately 40 kilometers away from the Gaza Strip.
Last week, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired three mortar shells at the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council in the south overnight on Sunday.
The first shell exploded near a fence surrounding a kibbutz, damaging the structure. Two additional mortars exploded near a kibbutz. A rocket alert system was activated, sending residents fleeing for cover.
Due to the escalation in rocket fire from the Gaza Strip earlier in the month, Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided at the time to deploy an Iron Dome anti-rocket defense battery outside the southern city of Ashkelon.
Barak’s decision came after close to 30 rockets were fired into Israel since the beginning of July.