Israel planting trees along Gaza border to defend against rockets

Israel is planning to plant trees along its borders with the Gaza strip as a defensive measure against Hamas' rocket attacks, Haaretz reported Wednesday. This is the first time the Israeli army has used trees as a line of defense since its creation, but said they can be just as effective today, noting that the forces began planting eucalyptus now to that effect. A lone rocket was fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip last month, in the first such incident in the three months since Operation Pillar of Defense. The rocket landed in an open area south of Ashkelon and caused no casualties or damage. In response, Israel scaled back operations at its border crossings with Gaza. But it still views the launch as an isolated incident, meaning no more substantial response is required at this point. A few days after the rocket fire, Palestinians in Gaza fired at Israeli forces stationed on the other side of the fence during a protest at the border. Israel believes that Hamas leadership in Gaza still wants to maintain the ceasefire that ended the November 2012 conflict, which entailed a barrage of 1,500 rockets fired at Israel, including Tel Aviv and Al-Quds area. The Israeli army responded with air strikes targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials and terror sites in Gaza.