More than 40 rockets fired from Gaza Strip since Monday; communities near the Gaza border put on heightened alert.

A Border Patrol officer was moderately injured on Tuesday when a rocket hit a residential area in the western Negev. Three other officers were lightly injured. All four were taken to Ashkelon´s Barzilai medical center.

The incident comes after almost 24 hours of rocket fire from Gaza to Israel´s south. The four apparently heard the sirens and ran toward a sheltered structure. A few seconds later the rocket landed between two vehicles nearby.

Approximately 40 rockets were fired since Monday night from the Gaza Strip; Hamas took responsibility for the rocket fire overnight Monday, and announced on Tuesday afternoon that its military wing had fired 10 Grad rockets toward Israel. The rocket fire marks an unusual move for the group, which has been avoiding launching rockets toward Israel for many months now.

Following the attack, communities near the Gaza border were put on heightened alert. The residents were given instructions to remain at a close distance to a bomb shelter.

In the past 24 hours, the Israel Air Force carried out several air strikes in the Gaza Strip. Overnight Sunday, Israel attacked a military compound in southern Gaza. On Sunday morning, a terrorist cell crossed the border from Egypt into Israel and detonated an explosive device which ended up killing an Israeli citizen who was working on the construction of the Israel- Egypt border fence.

On Monday evening, the IDF carried out strikes in several locations in Gaza, and Palestinian reported that five people were wounded. Shortly afterward, the IDF carried out two more strikes and killed four Palestinians. (© Copyright 2012 Ha´aretz 06/20/12)