The Israeli air force and Gaza militants traded sporadic fire overnight but a fragile truce between the sides that ended four days of violence appeared to be largely holding on Thursday.
Late Thursday morning, militants fired a rocket at the southern desert city of Beersheva, which was intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system, a military spokesman said.
It was the second rocket to be fired on Thursday; neither caused any damage or injuries.
Overnight, Israeli aircraft carried out two raids, one near Gaza City and another near the southern town of Khan Yunis, causing no injuries, Palestinian security officials said.
The Israeli military said the raids were in response to a rocket fired at Beersheva on Wednesday which was brought down by Iron Dome.
Many schools across southern Israel were again closed on Thursday as a safety precaution, after briefly reopening on Wednesday for the first time this week.
Speaking to parliament on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again warned the truce would be short-lived if the rocket fire continued.
"Calm will bring calm. Anyone who disturbs it, or even tries to disturb it, will be in our gun sights," he said.
He also linked the rocket fire from Gaza to tensions with Iran over its nuclear programme, which much of the West believes masks a weapons drive.
"What's happening in Gaza is Iran. Where do the missiles come from? Iran. Where does the money come from? Iran. Who trains the terrorists? Iran. Who builds the infrastructure? Iran. And often who gives the orders? Iran.
"Gaza is an advance post for Iran," he said.
"I hope that the whole world today understands that the terrorist organisations in Gaza -- Hamas and Islamic Jihad -- and also Hezbollah in Lebanon, are sheltered by the Iranian umbrella.
"Can you imagine what would happen if that umbrella was nuclear?"
The truce, mediated by Egypt, ended violence that began on Friday with Israel's assassination of a senior Palestinian militant. Militants responded by firing hundreds of rockets into the Jewish state.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, both Israel and militants from Islamic Jihad, who were responsible for most of the rocket attacks, have agreed to hold their fire.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-palestinians-trade-fire-fragile-truce-holding-075604280.html
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