Rocket
Photo: Uri Ya'ari
6 Qassams fired at Sderot
After assassination of Islamic Jihad members in Gaza, six Qassam rockets fired at Sderot overnight; Residents say they thought shooting was carried out by army due to failure of Red Dawn alert system to go off
Six Qassam rockets were fired at Sderot, hours after Islamic Jihad members were assassinated in Gaza.
No injuries or damage were reported.
Residents of the city only heard the Red Dawn system go off in the morning, after it failed to go off during the nighttime rocket attacks.
Battling Qassams
Ynet reporters
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One of the rockets was found in the morning and sappers of the Lachish District found the exact landing spot.
Sderot residents, who have become accustomed to the rocket attacks, were not overtly surprised by the latest barrage. Most sent their children to school as usual, with no unusual absences reported.
The city is still hopeful that protective reinforcements are added to educational centers in Sderot, after an initiative do so made relatively slow progress.
Alert didn't go off
According to Albert Gabai, an activist in the city, residents could not distinguish between the Qassam fire, and IDF fire at Gaza. "At night, we heard the bombs, but since the Red Alert system didn't go off, we were sure it was the army firing at Gaza. Only this morning did we hear the alert system," he said.
Gabai added: "From reports, we understood there a number of rockets overnight. We're sure that the 'security strip' created by the army in northern Gaza is causing the rockets to be fired at Sderot. They've started shooting at Sderot again because they can't shoot at other places. Two days ago, one rocket fell 30 meters (about 100 feet) from my house's garden; it scares me to think that my daughter could have been outside at that time."
Sasson Shara, a member of the parents' committee, said that "parents preferred to send their kids to school, because at least the school buildings are made from concrete, while our homes are not protected at all. With all the fears, we send the kids and hope that it'll be alright, because here in Sderot we've learned that there's no one to trust other in than miracles," he said.
On Sunday, Sderot will commemorate the murder of Ela Abeksis, who was killed by a Qassam rocket one year ago.
