The Qassam fire on Israel continues: A rocket landed Monday evening in one of the kibbutzim of the Eshkol regional council in the Western Negev. The rocket directly hit an office building in the kibbutz, at the same time when many of the community's members were making their way to the dining hall nearby.
One person was at the office building when the rocket struck, but escaped unharmed owing to the strength of the structure. Some damage to property was caused.
Monday's attack marks the first time a Qassam lands inside the kibbutz, after several rockets have already landed in cultivated areas outside the community.
Galia Kremmer, one of the kibbutz members, told Ynet: "We heard a whistle and a very loud explosion, many people began running and others came out of their houses. It was very frightening and the noise was very loud."
Another member added: "The Qassam fell on the fortified room located on the roof of the office building. I was the first to arrive at the scene, I saw the place filled with smoke and the missile's tail, which continued to fly 20 meters from the place and landed near an electric pole."
"This is the first time that a Qassam lands inside the kibbutz, practically in our house, next to houses that were crowded with people. The damaged structure was left without windows. The acoustic ceiling fell to the floor. Hopefully everything will end soon and peace will come," he concluded.
Unlike in Sderot, the kibbutz and the surrounding communities are not equipped with an alert system or other security measures. Gidi Yarkoni, a kibbutz official, explained: "An infrastructure for the alarm system exists, but it is not activated. There are no protected areas, and very few people have a fortified room in their house. The fortification of the educational facilities and kindergartens has only now begun."
All in all 12 rockets landed Monday in Israel's territory, most of them in open areas.