Army: Palestinians fire rocket, Israel hits back

Palestinians inspect the rubble of a metal workshop and car wash station after an Israeli air strike in Gaza city, early Wednesday, July 13, 2011. Israeli aircraft struck two suspected weapons manufacturing sites in Gaza overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. The military said the airstrikes came in retaliation for rocket fire from Gaza on Israel on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

JERUSALEM— Israel’s military says Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired a Grad rocket at southern Israel, and Israel retaliated with an airstrike.

The military said the rocket exploded in an open area. No one was hurt.

Israeli aircraft targeted the militants who fired the rocket late Thursday from eastern Gaza City. Palestinian hospital officials said two people were wounded.

Grad rockets have a longer range than the homemade rockets Gaza militants often fire at southern Israel. The Israelis charge that the Grads are smuggled into Gaza through tunnels under the border with Egypt.

Rocket fire has slowed to a relative trickle in recent months. Daily barrages of dozens of rockets from Gaza led to a large-scale Israeli military operation in Gaza in 2009.