Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a Grad-type Katyusha rocket into Israel on Sunday. The rocket has a longer range than those previously used by anti-Israel militants in Gaza, which means they can be launched from deeper locations inside Gaza, possibly from densely populated areas.

IDF spokesman Captain Benjamin Rutland said, "Hamas bears responsibility for all the terror attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip regardless of who actually fired the rocket." Responsibility was claimed by the Popular Resistance Committees.

The Soviet-designed Grad-type Katyusha landed some 6.5 miles inside Israel, much deeper than the usual 2 miles traveled by the crude makeshift rockets (Qassam). However, the rocket landed in an open field and caused no injuries or damage other than a light fire. The rocket landed outside the southern Israeli town of Netivot. About a year ago, Palestinians fired another Katyusha at the southern Israel city of Ashkelon, around 7 miles from the border, but caused no injuries.

The Netivot mayor has immediately blasted the government for denying the necessary funding for rocket defense. The town is just outside the 10-kilometer range in which the government has decided to protect settlements. During the 2006 Lebanon War, Hezbollah fired almost 4,000 rockets into Israel, mostly 122 mm (4.8 in) Katyusha artillery rockets. They have a range of up to 19 miles. Katyushas were exported by Russians to Afghanistan, Angola, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, East Germany, Hungary, Iran, North Korea, Poland, Syria, and Vietnam, and they were also produced in Czechoslovakia, North Korea and Iran.