According to Shebab Agency, drones and jets were being deployed over Gazan airspace. Reports also indicated that IDF aircraft were targeting agricultural land east of Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
The IDF confirmed the attacks in a statement shortly after initial reports emerged.
"Recently, IDF fighter jets and a fighter helicopter attacked an underground Hamas terrorist organization's infrastructure in the southern Gaza Strip. The attack was carried out in response to a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory earlier tonight," the IDF said.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 20, 2020
The retaliatory strikes came after a Gaza-launched rocket was intercepted hours earlier by IDF's Iron Dome.
"Just 2 hours after we exposed a terror tunnel dug from Gaza into Israel, terrorists in Gaza fired one rocket toward Israeli civilians. The Iron Dome intercepted the rocket. We will protect Israeli civilians from threats above and below ground," the IDF statement read at the time.
Explosions were also reported in the Gaza Strip Saturday morning local time after a rocket was launched from the Palestinian territory into Israel, Sputnik reported.The explosions took place after a rocket was fired from Gaza Friday evening.
