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Israel responds to Gaza rocket attack by launching airstrike

By Andrew V. Pestano

GAZA, June 24 (UPI) -- Israel has responded to a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip by carrying out an airstrike on a rocket launcher in the area on Wednesday.

No one was harmed in either attack. The rocket landed in southern Israel's Yad Mordechai community Tuesday at about 10 p.m. Israeli authorities moved to the site of the airstrike in Gaza to investigate.

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The attack from Gaza is part of a series on Israel in the past month, attributed to a small Salafi Islamist group that's also battling Hamas, which rules Gaza.

"It doesn't matter to us who fired the rocket. Hamas is responsible and we won't let them set our daily schedule," Yair Farjun, chairman of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, said, whose community was struck by a rocket attack June 14.

Israel holds Hamas responsible for all rocket attacks that come from Gaza.

Israel Defense Forces confirmed the rocket attack.

"Breaking: rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip to Southern Israel. Sirens sounded in Zikim, Karmia, Netiv HaAsara and Yad Mordechai," the IDF said in a statement.

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The attack and retaliation follow Monday's announcement by the United Nations that the 50-day war in Gaza in 2014 involved war crimes by both the Israeli and Hamas-led Palestinian sides.

"The commission was able to gather substantial information pointing to serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law by Israel and by Palestinian armed groups. In some cases, these violations may amount to war crimes," the U.N. announced.

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