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Dec. 7 (UPI) -- The Israel Defense Forces carried out strikes against Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip on Thursday evening. The IDF said the strikes were in retaliation for Palestinian rocket attacks that failed to reach Israeli territory, according to the Times of Israel.
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"The IDF holds Hamas responsible for hostile activity perpetrated against Israel from the Gaza Strip," the IDF said in a statement.
It's not yet clear if there were any casualties in either attack.
The strikes on the Gaza Strip come after Palestinians spent Thursday protesting against the U.S. government's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Israeli forces clashed with protesters, resulting in more than 100 injuries, according to Palestine Red Cross numbers reported by The Washington Post.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called for a "Day of Rage" leading up to the protests.
"We demand, call and will launch an intifada in the face of the Zionist occupation," Haniyeh said in a speech Thursday. "Jerusalem is being kidnapped and ripped from us."
Protests are expected to continue on Friday.
Israel's strikes on Gaza mark the second time in less than two weeks that the IDF attacked the area in retaliation for alleged attacks from Hamas. On Nov. 30, IDF forces attacked four Hamas military posts.
