Rocket lands in Netivot
Photo: Roy Idan
Rocket fire leads to close calls
Intense Qassam barrage on south gives way to small miracles in western Negev as Grad missile misses three kids in Sderot, Qassam lands outside children's center in Netivot. 'Enough talk, something must be done,' says council head
The lives of three children - aged four, five and eight - were saved Wednesday, as a Grad missile fired from northern Gaza hit their home, moments after they managed to run into the fortified room of the house.
Arie Lazar, the children's father, told Ynet that "this was definitely a miracle. Were suffered a direct hit to the house. We were in the living room when the Color Red alert sounded and the kids ran right in the fortified room.
Under Fire
Shmulik Hadad
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"When the rocket hit, the entire house filled with white smoke... luckily, the children and myself are unharmed." He said.
Some 30 rockets were fired at the western Negev since Tuesday night. "The situation in unbearable," said Sdot Negev Regional Council head Meir Yifrach. "It's raining rockets and nothing is being done. Enough talk – the residents want something to be done so they can go about their lives."
Five of the rockets fired at Israel Wednesday landed in Netivot, landing in the city's center and its industrial area. One woman suffered shock.
The Lazar home (Photo: Roee Idan)
"I can't protect my children," Naama, a Netivot resident, told Ynet. The mother of three, including a 12-year-old suffering from cerebral palsy, she recounted the terrifying experience: "It's been a horrible morning... even if I could run to a shelter, my daughter is crippled. It takes me 10 minutes to pick her up. The rocket comes within 20 seconds (of the siren).
"I've asked the Home Front Command to provide me with fortification nearby, but I was told I wasn't in the rocket range," she added.
One of the rocket which landed in Netivot crashed just outside a local community center, which was full of children enjoying Hanukkah activities at the time.
"We were in the middle of things when the Color Red alert sounded," Amir Cohen, the center's owner, told Ynet. "We had everyone lie near the far wall and then we heard a boom. The intensity made us realize it hit close by. We can certainly understand the people of Sderot better now," he added.
Shmulik Hadad contributed to this report
