Qassam (archive)
Photo: Amir Cohen
Qassam hits elderly couple's home
Islamic Jihad cell fires two rockets at western Negev; no one wounded but two houses and a factory damaged. Regional council head says 'scandalous' government has not yet started program to shield homes
Palestinians in Gaza fired two Qassam rockets into the western Negev late Friday, one of which hit the home of an elderly couple.
A third rocket was fired Saturday afternoon and landed in an open area near Sderot. No casualties or damages were reported.
Late Friday the first rocket slammed through the roof of a house where an elderly couple lived, then ricocheted into the yard of the neighboring home, where it exploded.
No one was wounded, but the rocket caused severe damage to both houses.
A second rocket landed on the premises of the Kal-Katif factory and damaged a storage container.
The al-Quds Martyrs' Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Yoav Peled, security officer for the Shaar Hanegev regional council, told Ynet it was a miracle no one was hurt.
"The Qassam accelerated when it hit the concrete roof of the elderly couple's home. They were awake when it hit and luckily weren't hurt. Due to the acceleration, the rocket continued on into the neighbors' yard, where it exploded and shattered all the house's windows," Peled said.
The couple spent the night at a guest house on the kibbutz where they live, due to the severe damage to their house. They did not need any medical treatment and did not suffer shock.
Alon Schuster, head of the Shaar Hanegev regional council, said, "The Islamic Jihad launched the rocket to tell the prime minister (Ehud Olmert) that time and statistics weren't in his favor. Instead of telling Gaza perimeter residents that there's no such thing as 100 percent security, Olmert should do what he personally promised me and the other council heads – and shield the houses right away."
"It's scandalous. The program has been dragging for six months, and now we hear that it may even be cancelled. I demand of the new defense minister (Ehud Barak) that he join our demands and bring up the matter this Sunday at the cabinet meeting. There are people here whose lives need to be protected," he declared.
