The Israeli army has claimed that two projectiles were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel this morning, one of which was intercepted, AFP reports.

“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the area of Netivot and in the communities near the Gaza Strip, two projectiles were identified crossing from the central Gaza Strip into Israeli territory,” the army said in a statement.

“One projectile was intercepted, and one fell in an open area.”

It was the first time in several months that launches from Gaza threatened Netivot, a town of about 50,000 people around 10 kilometres from the Palestinian territory.