Israeli children take cover under their desks in a classroom.

While schools across southern Israel remained open on Friday for the Jewish festival of Purim, tensions were high as the Israeli Air Force (IAF) continued targeting terror sites in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s Channel 2 reported.

Missiles struck Israel sporadically across the southern region on Thursday even after Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed a truce was brokered between the terrorist organization responsible for lobbing over 60 rockets into Israel over the past 48 hours and the government in Jerusalem.

Israel maintains that terror group Hamas which controls Gaza should be held responsible for the rocket attacks, Channel 2 said.

Six rockets struck Israel on Thursday night at around 8 pm. Five of them exploded in open, unpopulated areas while the sixth was shot down over the southern city of Sderot by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. No injuries or damage to property were reported, Channel 2 said.

Alarms went off across southern Israel not long afterwards and another three rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip, landing in open areas inside Israel. Then, approximately 30 minutes later, another three missiles were fired. One of them was intercepted by Iron Dome while the other two landed in unpopulated areas, Channel 2 said.

The IAF responded overnight by hitting three targets in northern Gaza and four targets in the southern part of the Strip, according to an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson.

Earlier on Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz held several meetings with his staff to discuss the recent events. He also met with the heads of the Regional Councils bordering the Strip.

Municipalities across the south — including Be’er Sheva, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Sderot — decided to keep their schools open so local children could celebrate Purim with their friends, Channel 2 said.