South heats up • missiles fired into Israel: air raid alarms in communities north of Ashdod

A few hours after firing missiles at an IDF patrol jeep in the Gaza Strip tonight (Motzei Shabbos) dozens of Grad rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel.

An air raid alert was sounded in the towns of Ashdod, Gedera, Gan Yavne and Beer Tuvia, after Grad missiles were launched at Lachish. Two rockets intercepted by the Iron Dome system in Ashkelon, one rocket over Ashdod, and another rocket landed in an open area of the city.

Earlier, 17 Qassam rockets exploded in the Eshkol Regional Council. According to the IDF guideline, residents of Gaza vicinity communities are asked to stay within 15 seconds of protected space areas. Near midnight more Qassam rockets were fired at three Eshkol settlements. Rockets landed in open areas.

From the evening, at least 29 rockets fired from Gaza landed in Israel.

Following all launches there were no injuries or damage, except damage to a vehicle at the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council.

In some communities there will be no school tomorrow. Ashkelon Mayor, Benny Vaknin, along with the parents committee, held consultations with military officials about the existence of school classes. After evaluation of the Home Front Command, of Ashkelon Municipality and the Central Parents Committee, and in light of the recent cease-fire, it was decided to hold further evaluation tomorrow at five thirty in the morning and at six the decision about school in Ashkelon will be decided.

According to the decision of the Council of Gan Yavne, Dror Aharon, there will be no school in all institutions in Gan Yavne. Security Officer Municipality of Ashdod, Aryeh Itach, said that the decision regarding school will be decided only at six o'clock in the morning, since Mayor Yechiel Lasry is flying on Thursday to the United States.

After firing the missile at the jeep, the IDF attacked targets in the Gaza Strip, and Palestinians reported four killed and six were seriously injured.

The IDF also attacked the northern Gaza Strip Islamic Jihad terrorist cell, which dealt with trying to launch rockets at Israel. According to Palestinian reports, one of the terrorists was killed and three were seriously injured.

Reports: Softness by Israel

Election at the entrance makes various politicians reactions become more extreme and more planned on the basis of personal campaign for each of them.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said tonight, following the events at the Gaza Strip, "the IDF responded harshly to the event and additional response will be considered in the coming days. We will not move on in our agenda on the worsening of events on the border."

His response corresponds to the message Barak's campaign for the 'Atzmaut' Party wants to transmit: concerning security.

Chairman of Kadima, Shaul Mofaz, ordered the Prime Minister to respond decisively: "It is time for a thorough deep root treatment in the Gaza Strip. Terrorist organizations should be engaged in saving their lives rather than planning attacks. The political leadership must allow the IDF to act powerfully wherever necessary. A stuttering Israeli answer will lead to more acts of terrorism. Heads of terrorist organizations should be our first and immediate goal. We knew how to reach them in the past. Our army is able to perform. We should allow them to perform. Israel's security comes before any election. I'm backing the Prime Minister on this matter."

Recalling, in his election campaign Mofaz opened with warnings against Netanyahu and his intention to attack Iran.

Even Yair Lapid, chairman of the party 'Yesh Atid', reacted to the situation in the south on his Facebook page and wrote: "Once again rockets on the south tonight, again soldiers fighting for their lives in hospitals, this time after a missile hit their jeep. I do not generally criticize the government when they fire, so I will only say that this situation cannot continue. We all pray for the injured and wish a quiet night to the residents of the south. We are with you in our hearts and in our thoughts."

The right wing also reacted accordingly. Information and Diaspora Minister Yuli Edelstein said that "the final hour has come," and that "Israel is a sinner to herself as she continues to abandon the lives of millions of people. The time has come to blow the terrorist nests and return Israel's deterrence immediately and the quiet to the south."

Chairman of the State Control Committee, MK Uri Ariel said: "Israel's softness against the growing terrorism in the last month in southern Israel must stop. The time has come to let the IDF win, to stop being afraid of the reaction of the nations, to work deeply in Gaza and to bring an end to the state of terrorism that Israel has created with its own hands."

MK Aryeh Eldad of 'Ichud Leumi' (up until now it is not clear which party he will belong to in the next election) commented: "At a time when people around Gaza are guided to stay within 15 seconds of protected space - Israel continues to provide electricity and water to Gaza, so that the terrorists will have comfortable lighting as they fire rockets from the warehouses and they can drink if they are tired or thirsty. No doubt about it: crazy government."

On his Facebook page he wrote the following:

A severe attack in the south. Arabs interpret the Israeli government's hesitancy as Israel's weakness. Hamas believes they were able to achieve a balance of terror against Israel, cringing massive retaliation to not put a million people to shelters.

"Once again, soldiers are paying the price of disengagement, those who promised and kept promising that the disengagement would improve Israel's security (Dan Halutz, General Zeevi - Farkas, Ariel Sharon, Olmert, and Tzipi Livni, a member lackeys thereof), to observe the day to day reality and to understand that each and every one of them is responsible for what is happening in the south. And those who will say again: Even before the disengagement rockets were fired from Gaza."

"Yes. Qassam's were fired on Sderot, but they never reached Beersheba, Ashdod and the outskirts of Tel Aviv, and there was not one moment that Israel refrained from all-out war on terrorism for fear of retaliating Arabic Gaza. Again and again we must learn the lesson – only a dead terrorist does not shoot. We should make all Hamas leaders, active terrorists the first in line - for instant targeted killing. There is no politics on terrorism. The same way we demolished the Sheikh Yassin (and no one thought he shoots himself), so should we do to all the Hamas leadership in Gaza. "

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!