Woman lightly hurt in Qassam attack on Sderot; IDF strikes in Gaza
Makeshift projectiles fired from northern Gaza slam into Sderot; resident lightly injured, four suffer from shock. IDF attacks targets in Jabalya refugee camp, Beit Lahia; Palestinians report three wounded
Another morning, another Color Red siren: Palestinians fired three Qassam rockets Friday morning from northern Gaza into Israel. Two of the projectiles landed in Sderot and caused some damage to a few houses. A woman sustained light injuries during the attack and was evacuated to the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. Four people suffered from shock.
Three more rockets landed in an open field outside of the rocket-battered town.
Injured woman evacuated (Photo: Amir Cohen)
The Izz a-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, claimed responsibility for the Qassam rocket fire.
On the Palestinian side, sources in Gaza reported that three people, including a woman, were injured in an IDF strike on a house in the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. A short time later, an additional report confirmed that IAF aircraft attacked targets in the Beit Lahia municipality also in the northern section of the Palestinian enclave. No reports of injuries in the second attack. The army claimed it was targeting Qassam rocket launching areas.
The massive rocket barrages on Israel have prompted the IDF to intensify its aerial onslaught on the Strip. Israeli aircraft have waged dozens of strikes on numerous targets over the past 24 hours, killing 31 Palestinians, among them a number of children.
On Thursday a total of 10 rockets hit the beachside city of Ashkelon leaving growing anxiety in their wake. Two long-range Grad rockets fired from the northern Strip hit the city that was previously considered out-of-range of the rockets. One of the rockets landed near a school in the center of town. A 17-year-old girl suffered light shrapnel wounds in the latest attack and several other people suffered from anxiety.
Meanwhile, during his flight back from Japan Friday morning, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was updated on Thursday's Grad and Qassam rocket attacks on Ashkelon and the western Negev. The political-security cabinet is scheduled to convene Wednesday to discuss the escalation in the south.
Over the past few days the IDF has positioned an artillery battery near Kibbutz Beeri, located about three kilometers (1.8 miles) from the Gaza border and dozens of tanks have made their way to an assembling area just north of the Strip.
The reinforcements, while limited, appear to indicate increased readiness on the part of the IDF.
Shmulik Hadad, Ali Waked, Hanan Greenberg and Roni Sofer contributed to this report
