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JERUSALEM (Reuters) – An alarm siren sounded Thursday in Israeli communities near the border with the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The alert came shortly after Israeli army radio reported unspecified military activity near the border with the Palestinian enclave.
Rocket attacks by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip led by Hamas Islamists have faded in recent weeks, as Egypt attempted to negotiate a long-term ceasefire with Israel.
But tensions remained strong along the border between Israel and Gaza, where Palestinians staged demonstrations, including attempts to break into a security fence.
Israeli forces have killed at least 195 Palestinians since protests began, a Gaza doctor said, and an Israeli soldier was killed.
Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt maintain strict restrictions on their borders with Gaza, a policy that has compounded economic hardships in the territory of two million Palestinians.
(Written by Jeffrey Heller, edited by Maayan Lubell and Angus MacSwan)
