Israel's Netanyahu convenes military consultation after rocket attack from Gaza

JERUSALEM, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Thursday night an urgent consultation with the country's top military commanders following a rocket attack on Tel Aviv from Gaza.

His office said he headed to the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv to hold "security consultation."

Local media reported that the gathering included Chief of General Staff Aviv Kochavi, Head of the Shin Bet Internal Security Agency Nadav Argaman, and other top military officials.

The military said that two rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip.

"The alert and warning systems operated as required," a military spokesperson said in a statement, adding that "no interceptions were made by aerial defense systems."

Five people were treated for hysteria and a 10-year-old boy and a man in his 50s were injured and needed hospital care, the emergency medical services said.

Israeli army's spokesman Ronen Manelis told Channel 11 TV that the rockets hit Israel by surprise, which occurred without prior warning.

In the wake of the attack, Tel Aviv's Mayor Ron Huldai ordered the opening of all shelters in the city as well as the municipal Operation Room.

The rare attack was an escalation of tensions between Gaza and Israel. Israel usually retaliates such attacks with heavy airstrikes.

No organization has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Palestinian security officials said the Egyptian delegation, which arrived earlier on Thursday to the besieged enclave, had left, heading back to Israel.

The intelligence officials held talks with Hamas heads in an attempt to broker calm between Gaza and Israel.

It was the first time that rockets were launched at Tel Aviv since Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip in 2014. Enditem