A rocket hit a house in Be'er Tuvia on Wednesday, Operation Pillar of Defense 's eighthday. A fire broke out at the scene and several people suffered from anxiety. Since the early morning hours, rockets landed in Sderot, Shaar Hanegev and the Eshkol Regional Council. No injuries were reported. The Iron Dome system intercepted rockets fired at Beersheba, Ashkelon and Hof Ashkelon.
Two rockets were fired at Ashdod and the Hof Ashlelon Regional Council overnight and were intercepted.
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On Tuesday, the Palestinians reported that 138 people were killed in Gaza since the beginning of the operation, including 60 civilians and 34 children.
Since the operation began, the Iron Dome has intercepted more than 400 rockets with an 85% success rate. Gaza terrorists fired some 1,400 rockets, 780 of which landed in open areas.
An Israeli state official said Wednesday that "misunderstandings are withholding the ceasefire."
He further added, "It's not over until it's over. It's in the interest of Egypt, Hamas and Israel to end (the conflict) but there is nothing set yet."
On Tuesday night, the IDF struckdozens of targets in Gaza. The Air Force attacked the building which houses the offices of the French AFP news agency, an AFP photographer said.
He noted at least three rockets appeared to have hit the building. The IDF Spokesperson's Unit confirmed that the building had been attacked as it housed Hamas' intelligence headquarters.
Damage in Rishon Lezion (Photo: Moti Kimhi)
Ashdod, Wednesday morning (Photo: Ella Segal)
IDF cannon barrel (Photo: IDF)
Another target hit overnight was the internal security ministry as well as a military safe house in the southern Strip. The Palestinians reported that the IAF attacked and destroyed a security compound west of Rafah and a police station in Khan Younis, according to the Maan news agency.
The agency further reported that Hamas' military wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, claimed it had fired five Grad rockets at Ashdod.
IDF strikes terror tunnels
The IDF attacked 25 targets in the Strip including 21 hidden launching pads, three tunnels and a Hamas military facility, the IDF spokesman said. Earlier, the army struck a Hamas command center, a bank used by the terror group, an apartment used as a military hideaway and a meeting place frequented by terror operatives on Tuesday night.
Tunnels used to store munitions and smuggle fuel were also targeted, as were several weapon factories and caches. The smuggling tunnels are one of Hamas' most critical sources of financing, the army said.
Hamas' internal security building (Photo: AFP)
Gaza after strike (Photo: AFP)
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton held a late-night meeting with Netanyahu.
''The goal must be a durable outcome that promotes regional stability and advances the security and legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians alike," she said at a news conference with Netanyahu.
Clinton will meet with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on Wednesday morning. Cairo is hoping to declare a ceasefire which was originally meant to go into effect at midnight but was delayed, likely due to Israeli demands for amendments in the agreement.
Neri Brenner, Yoav Zitun, Omri Efraim, Roi Kais and Itamar Eicner contributed to this report
First published: 08:05, 11.21.12