The Israeli air force struck a militant target in the Gaza Strip early on Wednesday, the military said, hours after Palestinians fired a rocket into southern Israel. "In response to this attack, the Israel Defense Forces struck the launcher from which the rocket was fired at Israel earlier," an army statement said. "A hit was confirmed." The rocket fired earlier fell on open ground in the vicinity of Yad Mordechai, it said, referring to a kibbutz near the Israel-Gaza border. No injuries were reported in either the rocket strike or the Israeli response.