Israel says it intercepted rocket fired from Gaza Strip

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli army says militants fired a rocket into the country, setting off sirens and raising already heightened tensions. The rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip and intercepted, the army said. Local residents reported hearing explosions. Israel typically responds to rocket fire with airstrikes, raising the possibility of further escalation. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Israel’s rescue service reported that it received no reports of injuries except for a 50-year-old woman who fell while running to a shelter. The announcement Wednesday came amid soaring tensions between Israel and the Palestinians under the country’s new ultranationalist government and just after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited with a call for calm.