Palestinian terrorists operating out of the Gaza Strip fired five missiles into southern Israel early Sunday morning, breaking a tenuous ceasefire that the besieged residents of the region had hoped would result in a longer period of calm.
Three of the missiles were medium-range Grad missiles that were aimed at the large city of Beersheva. The other two were shorter range Kassam rockets. All five landed in open areas and did not cause any damage or injuries.
Israeli forces responded by targeting terrorist cells they said were preparing to fire additional missiles.
Schools in Beersheva and other towns in the area were closed for the day due to the rocket threat.
Last week, Gaza-based terrorists fired more than 80 missiles and mortar shells into southern Israel, sparking a serious escalation of violence that also saw Israeli warplanes hit Hamas targets across Gaza.
Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood had reportedly brokered a ceasefire late last week, but such truces rarely hold.