Isis affiliate group Sinai Province claims responsibility for rocket attack against Israel

The group has claimed responsibility in a statement posted on Twitter

A screenshot from the Isis video statement addressed to the 'tyrants of Hamas'

An Isis affiliate group in Egypt has claimed responsibility for rockets fired into Israel.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Friday, the affiliate group Sinai Province stated that it had launched three Grad rockets towards “occupied Palestine”. It is understood that there were no casualties, nor was any damage caused by the rockets.

An Israeli military source confirmed that rockets had been fired from Sinai, an area which borders Israel, the Gaza strip and the Suez Canal.

On Tuesday, the country’s intelligence minister, Israel Katz, accused Hamas of partnering with the militant group in Sinai. Mr Katz told a press conference: “There is cooperation between them in the realm of weapons smuggling and terrorist attacks. The Egyptians know this, and the Saudis.

“At the same time, within Gaza, Isis has been flouting Hamas. But they have common cause against the Jews, in Israel or abroad."

Hamas has strongly denied the allegations.

On Wednesday, Isis militants released a video in which they threatened to overthrow Hamas in Gaza because they deem the group not hard line enough in its beliefs. Speaking in the video, one militant says: “We will uproot the state of the Jews and you and Fatah [leading Palestinian political party], and all the secularists are nothing and you will be over-run by our creeping multitudes.

“The rule of Sharia will be implemented in Gaza, in spite of you. We swear that what is happening in the Levant today, and in particular the Yarmouk camp will happen in Gaza.”

At least 17 Egyptian soldiers and 100 Isis militants have been killed in fighting in Sinai since Wednesday.

Additional reporting by Reuters.