4 hurt in Sderot rocket barrage

Hamas rockets pound Sderot: At least four people were wounded, including a 5-year-old girl, in a rocket barrage on the southern town of Sderot Tuesday afternoon. At least 18 Qassams were fired at Sderot since the afternoon hours, with four rockets landing in town.

The rocket fire started at around 4:15 PM, with one Qassm hitting a poultry processing plant where Yakov Yakobov was killed in November 2006. Since Tuesday morning, a total of 26 Qassam rockets and 16 mortar shells were fired at western Negev communities.

One of the rockets hit a power line in Sderot, halting power supply to several areas in town. Electric Company workers were called to the place to repair the damage.

Child hurt in rocket attack (Photo: AP)

This marked the first time in several months that Hamas claimed direct responsibility for attacks on Israeli territory.

'I didn't know what to do'

Earlier Tuesday, Palestinian snipers fired at Israeli farmers who attempted to remove tractors that were abandoned in the fields of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha after a volunteer was killed by sniper fire.

Eight farmers from the kibbutz arrived in the area to remove the heavy machines, but the moment they approached the tractors, Palestinians in Gaza opened fire at them. Rahat resident Muhin al-Karnawi, who works in the kibbutz, described the scary moments: "I hit the ground next to the car. I didn't know what to do. They started to fire and a Qassam landed very close to me."

Meanwhile, more mortar shells and rockets were fired at the western Negev. No injuries were reported in those attacks.