JERUSALEM (AP) – A mortar shell fired from the Gaza Strip landed near an army base in southern Israel early Friday, the army said.

The shell was the third projectile fired by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip since Israel evacuated its 21 Jewish settlements in the area.

No injuries or damage were reported in the mortar attack, the army said. Two homemade rockets were fired into Israel on Thursday, but neither caused any damage or casualties.

Palestinians frequently fire mortars and homemade rockets into Israel, but they rarely cause injuries.

Israel this week completed the removal of 8,500 Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip as part of a plan to hand the strip over to full Palestinian control by mid-September.

Critics of the government plan say the pullout rewarded Palestinian violence and could invite more attacks after the withdrawal is complete.