Gaza rockets, Israeli air strikes accompany Biden’s Middle East visit

GAZA (Reuters) -Israeli fighter jets struck Gaza following rocket launches from the Palestinian territory on Saturday, hours after U.S. President Joe Biden flew from Israel to Saudi Arabia on a Middle East trip aimed at deepening Israel’s integration into the region.

The Israeli military said it hit two facilities belonging to Hamas, the Islamist militant group that governs the blockaded strip. One of the targets was an underground rocket-manufacturing plant, the military said.

Gaza witnesses described the two sites struck as Hamas training camps. No injuries were reported.

Hamas has condemned Biden’s visit, and group spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said the Israeli bombing “reflected U.S. support and encouragement the Zionist entity had received to pursue its aggression and crimes”.

Gunmen had fired at the Israeli planes, Barhoum said.

Sirens sounded in southern Israel on two occasions early on Saturday, warning of incoming rocket fire.

One rocket was intercepted and three projectiles landed in open spaces, the military said.

No group claimed responsibility for the launches.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Henriette Chacar in Jerusalem Editing by William Mallard and Mark Potter)