JERUSALEM, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday ordered to shut down the crossings between Gaza and Israel after Gaza militants fired rockets at Israel.
Lieberman instructed the military to shut down the Erez Crossing, the only pedestrian passage between the besieged Palestinian enclave and Israel, and the Kerem Shalom Crossing, a passage for goods, said a statement released by the Defense Ministry.
Lieberman also imposed further restrictions on the allowed fishing zone in Gaza.
The moves were a retribution to rockets fired from Gaza at southern Israel earlier on Wednesday.
One rocket hit a residential home in the southern city of Beersheba, causing damage. Two people were injured as they ran to seek cover. Another rocket fell in the sea across central Israel shores.
In response, Israel launched a wide-scale air attack, targeting Hamas sites, according to the military. At least one Palestinian was killed by the strikes and three others were injured, local media reported.
The escalation came after weeks of tensions. Gazans have been holding demonstrations near the fence separating Gaza from Israel since March 30, to protest blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt. The protest includes occasional launchings of helium-filled balloons to set fires in southern Israel's arid farmlands.
