Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said it had detected a projectile fired from the Gaza Strip but it fell short inside the Palestinian territory.
This comes amid a fragile three-phased ceasefire that is barely holding after a bloody war triggered by Hamas-led militants attacking Israel and taking hundreds of hostages on October 7, 2023.
“A short while ago, a projectile was launched from Gaza and fell within Gaza. The details are under review,” IDF said in a post on X.
The alleged projectile firing came as Hamas announced that it would return the bodies of four dead Israeli hostages on Thursday in exchange for Israel's release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The first phase of the ceasefire between the warring parties will expire in a matter of days.
Israel has delayed the release of about 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday to protest what it says is the cruel treatment of hostages during their release by Hamas.
{{/usCountry}}Israel has delayed the release of about 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday to protest what it says is the cruel treatment of hostages during their release by Hamas.
{{/usCountry}}The militant group has said that the delay is a “serious violation” of their ceasefire and that talks on a second phase aren't possible until the Palestinians are freed.
Israeli airstrikes in Syria
The latest update comes a day after the Israeli army said it carried out air strikes targeting military sites containing weapons in southern Syria on Tuesday,
The strikes were conducted just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for demilitarising the area.
At least two people were killed by a strike on one of the sites, the headquarters of a military unit southwest of Damascus, a war monitor said.
It was unable to confirm if the victims were civilian or military.
"Over the past few hours, the IDF (Israeli military) struck military targets in southern Syria including command centres and multiple sites containing weapons," the army said in a statement, without specifying the exact locations of the strikes.
"The presence of military forces and assets in the southern part of Syria pose a threat to the citizens of Israel. The IDF will continue to operate in order to remove any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel."
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two military sites south of the Syrian capital were targeted.