At least two people were wounded in southern Israel by rocket fire from Hamas-controlled Gaza, in an attack that coincided with Israel’s signing in Washington of normalisation deals with the UAE and Bahrain.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, warned that the deals would “not achieve peace in the region” until the US and Israel acknowledged his people’s right to a state: “Peace, security and stability will not be achieved in the region until the Israeli occupation ends”.

The Israeli army said two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip, one of which was intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system.

The other crashed into the southern coastal city of Ashdod, lightly wounding at least two people. Witnesses in Gaza said at least two rockets were fired from the north of the coastal enclave into Israeli territory. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from Palestinian factions operating in Gaza.

The attack came as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the accords establishing diplomatic relations with the Jewish state. Palestinians protested on the streets Tuesday against the deals.