Iron Dome halts mortar barrage from Gaza on 20 locales, one on empty kindergarten

Two kibbutzim in the Eshkol region were targeted for Palestinian mortar fire from the Gaza Strip early Tuesday which reportedly covered 20 locales within range of the enclave. Iron Dome went into action. No casualties are reported. A kindergarten in one of the kibbutzim was hit before the children and teachers arrived. Other rounds reportedly exploded on open ground. This was the first serious Palestinian barrage from Gaza since the IDF’s counter-terror operation of 2014. Tension remains high in southern Israel.