Israel military: 3 strikes against weapons operations in Gaza after rocket attack

Israeli aircraft strike tunnels, arms factories

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says its aircraft have attacked two weapons-making factories and a smuggling tunnel in the Gaza Strip.

The military says the air strikes Sunday were in retaliation for rocket fire into southern Israel from Gaza a day earlier.

Later Saturday, Gaza’s Hamas rulers announced that militant factions in the territory had agreed to stop firing rockets. The goal is to prevent Israeli retaliation.

Israel went to war against Gaza militants nearly a year ago to crush rocket squads who had severely disrupted life in southern Israel for years.

The number of attacks has decreased dramatically.

But Israel says weapons continued to reach militants through tunnels under Gaza’s border with Egypt.