Qassam rocket lands in heart of Ashkelon

VIDEO - In spite of Gaza operation: A Qassam rocket landed Tuesday evening in the heart of the southern city of Ashkelon. Many residents reported hearing a loud explosion inside the Ronson high school, close to the Ashkelon Acadmeic Collage. Large police forces were dispatched to the area. There were no reports of injuries, although a large number of parents and students were present at the school at the time of the fall. Izz al-Din al-Qassam, Hamas' military wing, claimed responsibility for firing the rocket in a statement issued in Gaza. Many parents had arrived in the school to register their children to the school. Sara Blumenfeld from Ashkelon told Ynet: "We were standing in the school yard, and suddenly, like a huge black bird, we hears a whistle, and then saw think smoke and a lot of noise. Many children and parents were in the school yard and everyone panicked and began yelling. One woman fainted and everyone quickly ran away." Another eyewitness, Motti Hari-Gat, recounted: "There was a huge explosion in the school yard. I jumped from my chair. It was a serious blast. I didn’t hear a whistle or the Red Dawn (alert system.) This is the center of the city, not its suburbs. There are many police forces here and we can see smoke from the windows." Qassam in Ashkelon school (Photo: Amir Cohen) The school principal, Timora Shiri, said that she was at home at the time of the fall. "I received a report on the rocket and rushed to the school. We knew this would happen, but we didn't imagine that it would be so quick. Now we have to prepare for a new situation in the school and we will listen to instructions of all the people in charge," she said. Ashkelon City Council member Levy Shafran, who is in charge of education affairs in the city, clarified that "we will hold consultations and discussions today and figure out how to prepare in light of the new situation." On Friday: Rocket dud near houses The police estimated that the rocket was equipped with several engines, and thus managed to reach the center of Ashkelon. The rocket was apparently fired from the northern Strip, and landed at the middle of an Israel Defense Forces operation in the northern Gaza Strip, which is also aimed at removing Qassam launching cells from the areas they are operating from. On Tuesday afternoon, Givati Brigade Commander Colonel Yoel Strik, whose soldiers are operating in the northern Strip, explained that the battle would be long. However, he said, there is no doubt that managing to fire a Qassam at Ashkelon constitutes a significant psychological success for the terror organizations, while Israeli forces are operating in the Strip. Since the IDF's pullout from Gaza, the army has identified increasing efforts by terror organizations to expand the Qassam range, whether by improving the existing rocket or by using other rockets such as the Grad, which has a 20-kilometer range. The fact that a Qassam landed in Ashkelon may cause the IDF to immediately and significantly expand its operation in the northern Gaza Strip in the next few hours. On Friday morning, a Qassam rocket dud was found in open territory near Ashkelon’s cemetery, not far from residential areas. It seems the rocket was fired as part of the barrage of Qassams fired Thursday from Gaza. On Thursday night, residents of the Givat Zion neighborhood reported that a rocket landed near their home. A police force scanned the area throughout the night, but only found the rocket dud Friday morning. Senior sources in the Ashkelon Municipality say that the falling of a rocket in a home or in an inhabited structure in Ashkelon could cause both physical damage and harm the image of the city, as well as causing much panic in the city. Sderot residents were surprised Tuesday morning by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s visit to the rocket-stricken town. During the visit, a Qassam rocket landed near the town's industrial zone. There were no injuries or damage in the incident. From Sderot Olmert continued to a conference in Be'er Sheva, in which he addressed the kidnapped soldier issue: "This is a long war, which requires a lot of patience and necessitates infinite restraint more than once. You have to know how to control yourself, you have to know how to answer back." The prime minister promised: "We will win and we will return Galid Shalit to his parents, to his family, to his loved ones, to us." Alon Davidi, head of Sderot’s protest committee, said, “Unfortunately, the prime minister came only after the soldier was kidnapped. We wrote him dozens of letters and tried to talk to him on the phone with no success. Suddenly he arrives without warning and without inviting us.” Hanan Greenberg, Tova Dadon and Ali Waked contributed to the report

Qassam rocket lands in heart of Ashkelon

(VIDEO) New reality for southern city's residents: Houses in range of rockets. Loud explosion heard in heart of city, damage caused to high school; no injuries reported. Hamas' military wing claims responsibility for firing rocket