Hamas fires rocket into Israel, damages cars and property

Jerusalem, Feb.8 (ANI): Palestinian militants have fired a rocket from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, causing damage but no injuries, a military spokesman says.

The Israeli Defence Force said two cars were set ablaze and destroyed while shrapnel damaged several others after a Kassam rocket fired by Palestinians early Sunday morning landed in a parking lot on a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev region.

The rocket did not cause casualties. It exploded in the Niram kibbutz near the city of Sderot, the Jerusalem Post quoted a spokesman, as saying.

Palestinian militants have fired about 40 rockets and mortar rounds since January 18 when Israel ended its 22-day military Gaza offensive. That offensive caused 1,330 Palestinian deaths.

Israel, which launched its assault on December 27 with the stated aim of stemming rocket attacks, has warned of "the severest riposte" to any further rocket fire.

Meanwhile, IDF troops arrested a Palestinian terror suspect in a village northeast of Ramallah, in the West Bank on Saturday night. The man is being interrogated, IDF sources told the paper. (ANI)