Qassam lands in factory in western Negev, no injuries
Rocket strikes factory operating around the clock in Negev kibbutz. Shrapnel damages worker's kitchenette, storage facilities. Earlier Friday – government declares crisis situation in Gaza-vicinity communities due to increase in Qassam attacks
Palestinian terror groups launched a Qassam rocket from northern Gaza towards Israel on Friday afternoon. The rocket landed in a factory in a kibbutz in the western Negev. No injuries were reported but damage was caused to the factory.
The al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Shrapnel struck the factory's kitchenette, which was luckily empty of workers and broke numerous windows. Equipment being stored in one of the factory's storage facilities was also damaged. The factory in question operates 24-hours a day.
This kibbutz is one of the most threatened communities in the south in terms of Qassam attacks while at the same time none of its homes are fortified. I call on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to immediately accept the deputy defense minister's recommendation and fortify these homes before a tragedy occurs and before the High Court intervenes," said Sha'ar Hanegev council head Alon Shuster.
Kibbutz official Itzik Hasson told Ynet that the factory employees were able to rush into the facility's bomb shelter before the rocket struck. The kibbutz paid for the construction of the shelter out of its own pocket.
Hasson said that factory managers are still surveying the damage to determine whether it will have to
close down for repairs.
"This is an outrage," said Hasson. "The State has simply forgotten about us, despite the fact that it promised us we would get fortification. In my house we have guests over for Shabbat and we simply have no place to run to when we hear the alarm sirens, we just sit and wait for the boom."
Ali Waked contributed to this report
