A Qassam rocket landed at the center of Israel's southern city of Ashkelon for the first time Tuesday evening, hitting a local high school building, local newspaper Ha'aretz reported.

There were no reports of injuries although many students and their parents were at the school at the time of the attack, said the report, adding police forces were dispatched to the area.

In a statement issued in Gaza, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam, military wing of Palestinian ruling Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas), has claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, which is believed to be the farthest one ever reached into Israeli territories.

Earlier on Tuesday Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert paid a surprise visit to the southern town of Sderot, a frequent target of Qassam rocket attacks.

"We shall not hold back or limit ourselves (to take retaliatory actions). This is a process and it cannot be solved in a day or two," Olmert said.

Source: Xinhua