The Israeli army’s rear service ordered the closure of roads and railways in the south after shelling from Gaza, halted rail traffic, cancelled classes in schools and cancelled public events.
“After assessing the situation, the Israeli army decided to block highways adjacent to the border with Gaza”, – the Israeli military said.
In the southern parts of the country, including Sderot and Ashkelon, schools and kindergartens were closed and mass events were canceled by order of the rear service.
Rail traffic between Ashkelon and Be’er Sheva has been stopped.
“On the recommendation of security forces, it was decided to temporarily stop traffic on the section between Ashkelon and Be’er Sheva,” the website of the Israeli railway company Rakewet Israel said.
On Sunday, southern Israel came under heavy fire from Palestinian Gaza. Sirens warning of possible rocket attacks were heard in Gaza’s border towns, including Ashkelon and Sderot. More than 20 rockets were fired into Israeli territory. The Israelis responded by striking dozens of Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza and Syria.
In the Adelaya area near Damascus, an Islamic Jihad military compound was attacked, which the Israeli military claimed was used to develop and produce weapons.
Another escalation on the border of the Palestinian enclave began after Israeli soldiers struck a group of Palestinians on Sunday morning who were trying to plant an explosive device at the separation fence. The army said that the group had already participated in attempts to plant explosives at the border.
The body of one Palestinian dead was captured by the Israeli military using a bulldozer. Defence Minister Naftali Bennet stated later that he supported the army’s actions.