A Qassam rocket fired by Palestinians in north Gaza Thursday morning exploded in the yard of a home in the western Negev town of Sderot. No injuries were reported, but a woman and her son were treated for shock, and two adjoining homes sustained minor damage.
The Color Red siren, which warns residents of incoming projectiles, sounded in Sderot and surrounding communities at around 8:30 am; the rocket fired at Sderot landed shortly thereafter, and another Qassam fired by Palestinian gunmen landed near Sderot's industrial zone, causing no injuries or damage.
Damaged house in Sderot (Photo: Zeev Trachtman)
The owner of one of the damaged homes said "the rocket hit a tree situated between our two houses, but the other house sustained most of the damage.
"I thought that after Operation Cast Lead (in Gaza) we would have some peace, but it's not happening and I don't believe it will," he said.
Wednesday morning also saw two rockets fired towards the Negev region. No injuries were reported. The Israeli Air Force retaliated a few hours later by striking seven weapons smuggling tunnels in the southern Strip. No casualties were reported in the attack.
Despite the ceasefire declared following Israel's recent military offensive in Gaza, the Palestinians have been firing Qassams and mortar shells towards Israel on an almost daily basis. The IDF usually responds with attacks on Hamas targets in the Strip.
On the northern front, Lebanese security officials said Wednesday that the military found four rockets near the border with Israel.
They said the rockets were discovered in Ein al-Jawz in the southeast - a region facing the Golan Heights.