Israel Under Assault from Gaza

Over 35 rockets and mortars have been launched from Gaza against the civilian population of Israel today. One Israeli was killed by shrapnel from a rocket fired at a residential neighborhood in Ashkelon and 4 others were wounded. A second rocket fired at Ashkelon directly struck a home, setting it on fire. Ashdod was targeted by at least three Grad rockets, with one slamming into an empty school.




Shrapnel hit school in Ashdod (Photo: Zeev Trachtman)





Fire in Ashdod (Photo: Shai Ben-Yishai)


Schools in Ashdod, Beersheba and Kiryat Malachi were cancelled by local officials, and the IDF Home Front Command has asked people who live in areas up to 40 kilometers from Gaza to stay within close range of bomb shelters. All public events are canceled by order of IDF, including a rally for social justice scheduled for Beersheba.

Palestinian sources reported Saturday that at five terrorists were killed and 11 others were wounded after the Air Force struck an Islamic Jihad cell in the Gaza Strip Saturday. The terrorists were members of a cell that fired a Grad rocket at Israel earlier this week.

One of the terrorists killed is Ahmed Sheikh Khalil, a senior commander in the al-Quds Brigades.