A rocket launched from Gaza on Friday night landed in open fields near border communities in southern Israel, the IDF said.
In response, IDF tanks and aircraft attacked three sites belonging to the Hamas terror group that rules Gaza.
Incident comes after month-long lull in cross border violence, after Islamic Jihad terror group launched more than 100 rockets at Israeli communities.
No Palestinian group has claimed responsibility for the launching but Israel usually holds Hamas responsible for any attack originating from the enclave it controls.
This month, Israel has completed its own Missile Defense Shield, comprising three different systems for different threats:
Iron Dome: developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, covers short range rockets and missiles (up to 70 km range)
David Sling: developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in cooperation with the IDF, covers medium range (70-300 Km range) missiles, rockets and UAVs
Arrow 3: developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing, covers long range ballistic missiles.
The Tamuz precision guided Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS) guided missile was developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems since the late 1970s and has been fielded by the Israeli Artillery Corps since the early 1980s.
With a range of 15.5 miles, the missile is equipped with an electric optic sensor that transmits the image of its target to its operators inside an specially modified M-113 armored personnel carrier known as "Hafiz", who then manually drive it towards the target. The missiles are fired from two launchers installed in the mentioned carrier, each of which is capable of carrying three missiles, although the carrier can carry and additional four missiles inside.
By using this weapon’s long range and rapid response capability, high precision and minimal risk of collateral damage the IDF could relay a warning to the enemy without risking unwanted and excessive effects that could be caused by heavier guided weapons or statistical weapons (artillery, mortars). In words of Col. Sharon, Commander of the Artillery Corps David Sling,“The missile provides us with the ability to accurately attack targets from a standoff position without needing to physically come into contact with the enemy”
