Rocket fire continues; IDF evaluates situation

Iron Dome battery -  (Archives) Photo: Shaul Golan, Yedioth Ahronoth

Third Iron Dome battery placed in south as rocket fire from Gaza Strip continues; IDF posits that small terror groups are behind attacks, not Hamas

Yoav Zitun

Published:  12.09.11, 22:49 / Israel News

IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz called in top army officials to evaluate the security situation as rockets continued to bombard southern communities Friday.

Around 10 pm three rockets exploded in open areas near Sderot and in the Eshkol and Hof Ashkelon regional councils, bringing the total of rockets fired into Israel on Friday to a total of 12.

 

Intercepted rocket's tracks (Photo: Yael Krief)

Army officials estimated that the Strip's two dominant organizations, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, are keeping a low profile in the latest round of fire in order to avoid escalating the violence further. Instead, the smaller groups, including the Popular Resistance Committees and Fatah al-Islam – whose two members were killed in an IAF strike Thursday – are responsible for the attacks.

However, the IDF did not rule out the possibility that the larger groups will initiate fire on Israel, and is preparing to retaliate.

Iron Dome's coverage extended

Army officials noted that while in past rounds of violence the Iron Dome missile defense systems protected only large population centers like Beersheba, Ashdod and Ashkelon, this time the system's coverage extends to a larger area, due to a third battery that was placed in the region after undergoing repairs.

The system intercepted one rocket that was fired towards Ashdod on Friday afternoon, while another exploded in the nearby Beer Tuvia Regional Council. Friday's barrage began in the morning with a Qassam exploding in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council, and continued throughout the day, hitting open areas in the Hof Ashkelon and Eshkol regional councils, as well as near Sderot. No injuries or damage were reported.

Five rockets hit the southern region on Thursday evening. Overnight, The IDF carried out a strike against two targets in the Gaza Strip, which Palestinian reports claim left one person dead.

Gaza sources said that a Hamas training camp near Gaza city was hit in the strike and that shrapnel hit nearby residential buildings. One person was killed and 25 others, mostly women and children, were wounded as a result. (Hamas uses women and children as "human" shields)

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Note:

BHO's hollow response to these attacks is astounding, as he simply admonishes both sides (??!) for "restraint".  How much "restraint" would the USA show if we were being attacked by our neighbors?  How much "restraint" have we demonstrated these past 10 plus years, when our troops are thousands of miles away, fighting terrorism?  How long would it take USA to call up our military if Americans were being shot at by missiles? .... See: Examiner: "Obama response to rockets fired on Israel called absurd"

Ashdod City Incoming Missiles Alarm - 09.12.11