(JTA) — A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip exploded in a kibbutz near the Gaza border, but did not cause casualties or damage.
The rocket that exploded Friday morning was the third that Palestinian terrorists have fired at Israel since the end of Israel’s 50-day assault on Hamas in Gaza, Army Radio reported. The operation, carried out by Israel in response to rocket launches from Gaza at its territory, ended on Aug. 26.
In recent weeks, Palestinians have fired several test rockets that were not aimed at Israel. Last month, the Israel Defense Forces reported that four such rockets were launched in the space of 24 hours at the sea west of Gaza.
Separately, representatives of Fatah and Hamas met in Gaza on Thursday in what Fatah spokesman Fayez Abu Aita described to the Ma’an news agency as a resumption of efforts to “heal the rift” between the rival groups.
Relations between the groups worsened last month following a series of explosions that Fatah supporters said were aimed against them.
Fatah, which controls the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and Hamas launched a bid in April to agree on a joint system of governance. The ensuing Hamas-Israel war has all but shelved the effort.
