JERUSALEM, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israel's air defense system on Saturday afternoon intercepted two rockets fired from the northern Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
The rockets triggered sirens in Jerusalem and the Judean Lowlands areas, sending residents to seek refuge in protected spaces.
Israel's national emergency service Magen David Adom said there were no casualties in the incident.
The IDF noted it was the first long-range rocket launch from the Gaza Strip into Israel since Oct. 7 this year.
Israel's state-owned Kan TV News channel reported that the rockets were launched from the city of Beit Hanoun, where the IDF has been conducting a ground operation against militant targets since Friday night.
The channel added that the launch was carried out just hundreds of meters from the Israeli forces operating in Beit Hanoun and may be conducted to prevent the rockets from being seized by the IDF. ■
