Palestinian rockets struck two cities deep in Israel on Wednesday. Islamic Jihad, a smaller Gaza faction and occasional Hamas ally, claimed responsibility for the attacks on Beersheba and Ashdod that followed a surge of shelling between Israel and Hamas that killed four Palestinian civilians and five militants on Tuesday.

Menahem Kahana / AFP - Getty Images

Israelis run to take cover in a shelter during a Palestinian rocket attack on the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on March 23. Two Grad rockets fired by Gaza militants slammed into Beersheva, a day after two deadly Israeli raids killed nine Gazans.

Islamic Jihad said it fired Grad rockets, assembly-line weapons more sophisticated than some shorter-range projectiles Palestinian militants have used in the past, at Beersheba and Ashdod, 20 miles and 25 miles from Gaza respectively.

Menahem Kahana / AFP - Getty Images

Israelis take cover during a Palestinian rocket attack on the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on March 23. Two Grad rockets fired by Gaza militants slammed into Beersheva, a day after two deadly Israeli raids killed eight Gazans.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said a Beersheba man suffered moderate shrapnel wounds and that the second rocket landed outside Ashdod's center, causing no damage. Read the full story.

Menahem Kahana / AFP - Getty Images

Israeli policemen inspect the remains of a Grad rocket fired by Palestinian militants into the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on March 23.