The Israeli military struck several “Hamas” sites in the Gaza Strip early Saturday after which the group fired rockets and mortars toward Israel. There were no reports of casualties on either side but the exchange threatened to spark a further conflagration after weeks of tensions along the volatile border. The military said its jets targeted two "Hamas" tunnels as well as other compounds. Even as the airstrikes were being carried out, the military said rockets began being fired toward Israel. It said six of them were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system. No injuries or damage were reported but warning sirens wailed in border communities for much of the night. In a relatively rare admission, “Hamas” said it fired the rockets to deter Israel from further action. Most of the recent rockets from Gaza have been fired by smaller factions. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said it was an "immediate response" that was meant to "deliver the message." On Friday, thousands of Palestinians gathered near the Gaza border for their near-weekly protest. A 15-year-old Palestinian who tried to climb over the fence into Israel was shot dead. Later the military said an Israeli officer was moderately wounded by a grenade thrown at him.