The Israel Defense Forces said its Iron Dome missile-defense system intercepted two rockets launched from northern Gaza on 2 July. Warning sirens sent residents of the southern Israeli town of Sderot and the nearby community of Ibim to shelters shortly before the interceptions. Municipal authorities in Sderot reported no injuries or property damage. The armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Saraya al-Quds, claimed responsibility for the launches. The exchange followed several hours of Israeli artillery and air strikes against targets in northern Gaza earlier in the day, according to Palestinian and Israeli media reports. The IDF did not immediately indicate whether it would mount further military action.