The Israeli military said aerial defense systems intercepted the projectile, which activated warning sirens in the southern coastal city of Ashkelon. No Palestinian group claimed responsibility for the rocket fire but the Israeli military blamed Hamas. An Israeli military raid in the West Bank early Friday, in which three Palestinian militants were killed and eight wounded, could have triggered the rocket attack from Gaza. The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident but clarified the balloon was not downed by Palestinian militants. The Israeli military has been carrying out near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank since a string of attacks earlier this year killed 19 people in Israel.

Source: ABC News June 18, 2022 17:33 UTC