Qassam strikes near Ashkelon school, lightly wounding Israeli girl
Rocket explodes seven meters from a kindergarten; girl treated on the spot by Magen David Adom paramedics then taken to hospital, two other people suffer from shock; two Palestinians wounded in earlier IDF strike on Gaza.
By Yanir Yagna
A Qassam rocket struck the Ashkelon beach early Tuesday, exploding in an open field near a kindergarten and lightly wounded a girl on her way to school.
The girl was treated on the spot by Magen David Adom paramedics and then taken to hospital for further evaluation; two other people were suffering from shock. A number of buildings in the area sustained light damage.
There were about 10 children in the kindergarten when the rocket struck about seven meters away, said a teacher. “I quickly got out of my car, ignoring the siren to help the children. I gathered them together and kept them busy.”
Residents of the area had felt that a strike could be imminent recently, she said. “The doors are always open and the children are not allowed to leave the area,” she said. “We are very strict about that.”
Some 13 rockets have struck the western Negev over the last two days; none of those caused any casualties. The last injuries sustained from an attack in Israel was two weeks ago, when a man was wounded by a mortar shell that struck the Eshkol Regional Council.
The Israel Air Force carried out a series of air strikes in the Gaza Strip overnight Tuesday in response to the rise in attack.
Two militants were wounded in the strikes, which hit a Hamas training camp, smuggling tunnels along Gaza’s border with Egypt, and other unpopulated areas, Hamas officials and witnesses said.
“The Israel Defense Forces will not tolerate any attack on the citizens of the State of Israel or IDF soldiers and will continue to act determinedly and with strength against any force that operates with terror against the State of Israel,” said the IDF in a statement.
The spokesman added that the IDF recognized Hamas as a terrorist organization and held it solely responsible for all activities in the Gaza Strip and infringement of regional calm.
Hamas leaders have tried to curb rocket fire at Israel, but smaller groups continue to carry out such attacks.
On Saturday, an Israeli air strike in Gaza killed five militants from a rocket launching squad.
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Qassam rocket fired by Hamas militants,. |
| Photo by: Getty Images |
WarSclerotic 
December 21, 2010 at 3:42 PM
IF I WERE THE ISRAELI LEADERSHIP RIGHT NOW I WOULD START TAKING THE NO. 1 SECURITY PRECAUTION ON THE GAZASTRIP OR ANYWHERE THERE MIGHT BE UNDERGROUND TUNNELS AND BEGIN DEMOLITIONS IN THE NONPOPULATED AREAS OR EVEN IN THE ENEMY COMPOUNDS AND DEMOLATE THESE UNDERGROUND TUNNELS. THESEARE THE GRAVEST THREAT TO ISRAEL RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY CAN LAUNCH SYSTEMATIC ATTACKS WITH IMPUNITY AND QUICKLY ESCAPE. THEY CAN ALSO STORE MUNITIONS AND TERRORISTS THERE TOO. AS WELL AS USE THESE TUNNELS FOR PROTECTION AND INVAISION PURPOSES. THEN I WOULD USE THE MAGIC WANDS AND TORCH THE MISSILES ONN ISRAEL`S BORDERS AND IN LEBANON TO DEMOLISH THE IRANIAN GAURDS AND HAMAS. THE MISSILES WILLL BURN AND EXPLODE CAUSING A MASSIVE CHAIN RREACTION OF EXPLOSIONS AND WIPEOUT THE MILITARY WEAPONS AND ARMIES TOO. THISS WOULD ALSO BLINND THESE ENEMY COMBATANTS IMMEDIATELY RENEDERING THEM HOPELESS UNABLE TO FIGHT. THESE GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS ARE VERY POWERFUL BUT WILL ELIMINATE THE STRATEGIC THREATS AGAINST ISRAEL. THE WEST RESPONDS THIS WAY.