Air raid siren in Ashkelon area, residents sent scurrying for cover

The Iron Dome air defense system was activated to fend off what turned out to be a “mistaken identity” of a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, said the IDF.

By World Israel News Staff

An air raid siren was sounded in the Ashkelon coastal area in southern Israel on Thursday morning, as children were attending schools, and the Iron Dome air defense system was activated to fend off what turned out to be a “mistaken identity” of a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, said the IDF, adding that policy dictates that such measures must be taken as a precaution.

“The warning system was activated as required,” said the military statement. Interceptors were launched “toward targets as dictated by policy,” it continued.

The Magen David Adom first-responder service reported no casualties, according to the Ynet news website.

Residents were sent scurrying to protected areas upon hearing the siren, it said.

The siren was sounded at Kibbutz Zikim, located between Ashkelon and Gaza.

Weekly Friday riots by Palestinians along the Gazan-Israeli border continue to take place, but the overall situation has been relatively quiet as Israel and Hamas have allowed Egypt, the U.N., and Qatar to take measures to improve infrastructure and socio-economic conditions in the Palestinian enclave, controlled by the Hamas terror group.