Palestinians fired two Qassam rockets at the western Negev on Friday, causing no injuries.

One of the rockets damaged the yard of a house in Sderot, and the second hit a kibbutz.

Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the rocket fire, Israel Radio reported.

	Advertisement

Defense Minister Amir Peretz is expected to make a final decision at the end of the month on which rocket defense system the Israel Defense Forces will procure.

Peretz and senior defense officials are weighing four possible options, some of which are still being developed, to solve the problem of rockets like the Katyushas and the Qassams. Four manufacturers, two Israeli and two American, are competing for the tender: Israel Aircraft Industries and Rafael; Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

The final decision may select two different, but complementary systems, each dealing with a different type of threat.

In the West Bank, security forces arrested two wanted Palestinians before dawn Friday.

Palestinian gunmen in Nablus opened fire on Israeli troops and threw several explosives at them. There were no injuries.