Over 20 rockets were fired at southern Israel on Tuesday afternoon in about three minutes. Code red sirens were heard in Sderot and a number of yishuvim in the Gaza Strip.

Residents reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke, indicating the launch of Iron Dome interceptor missiles. One rocket fell in the courtyard of a home and another rocket fell in a building site in Sderot. A 25-year-old foreign worker was knocked unconscious and seriously injured by rocket shrapnel. Two other workers were lightly injured by shrapnel.

The three victims were treated at the scene and evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.

According to Israel Police, there were five rocket strikes in populated areas.

One of the rocket strikes in Sderot can be seen below:

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will hold a situational assessment on the escalated security situation later on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, Gaza terror groups launched three rockets into Israel after Israel announced the death of senior Islamic Jihad terrorist Khader Adnan, who was found unconscious in his cell in an Israeli prison following an 86-day hunger strike.

Fortunately, the rockets exploded in open areas and no injuries were reported. Following the launches, the IDF carried out tank strikes against terror targets in the Gaza Strip. Residents of Gaza border area communities were instructed to remain close to safe areas until further notice.

Adnan was arrested on February 5 for terror-related activities for the 13th time and has been on a hunger strike since then. He has refused to receive medical treatment while in prison.

The Islamic Jihad terror group has threatened in the past that it will view Adnan’s death as an elimination by Israel. Following his death on Tuesday morning, Islamic Jihad and Hamas threatened to “make Israel pay” for his death.

This isn’t the first time that Adnan used a hunger strike as a tactic to be released from an Israeli prison. He was released in 2015 after a 56-day hunger strike and in 2012 after a 66-day hunger strike.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)