WarSclerotic

A 40-year-old Palestinian from Hebron was killed and a woman was seriously wounded late Monday night when a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed on a four-story residential building in Ashkelon.

The woman was initially rushed to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon but was later transferred to Tel Hashomer Hospital, where she is hospitalized in a serious but stable condition.

Palestinian terrorists fire rocket barrages from Gaza (Photo: MCT)

Since Monday afternoon, nine other people were rushed to the Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva: One woman lightly hurt in her hand by shrapnel who was treated and released, while the rest were lightly hurt or suffering from shock. The Barzilai Medical Center received 75 injured: one moderately hurt, 62 lightly wounded and 12 suffering from shock.

House suffers direct hit in Ashkelon (Photo: EPA)

Building suffers direct hit in Ashkelon (Photo: Avi Rokach)

In addition, the 19-year-old soldier who was seriously wounded on Monday by a Cornet anti-tank missile fired at a bus near the Gaza border underwent surgery at the Soroka Medical Center during the night.

Rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip targeting Ashkelon, Sderot and the Gaza border communities continued on Tuesday morning. Two houses suffered a direct hit in the Eshkol Regional Council, but no one was hurt.

Iron Dome intercepts rockets from Gaza (Photo: AFP)

The IDF retaliated by attacking over 100 targets in the Gaza Strip. The army also noted that while it is prepared to evacuate residents from the Gaza border area, such a decision has yet to be made.

Hamas’s military wing threatened to target Israeli cities Ashdod and Be’er Sheva if the IDF continues attacking civilian targets in Gaza. Islamic Jihad threatened to fire rockets even further away from Ashdod and Be’er Sheva.

“What has been happening since last night and until this morning was part of the traditional response that Israel expects. In the coming hours, something the enemy doesn’t expect will come,” warned a spokesman for Islamic Jihad. “The continuation of aggression in this manner—the targeting of homes, public places and civilian population centers—will lead the resistance to make the decision to expand the range of response. The resistance has decided that the settlers beyond the cities of Be’er Sheva and Ashdod should remain near shelter.”

Soldiers stationed near the Gaza border take cover during rocket barrage (Photo: EPA)

The Home Front Command instructed residents in communities near the Gaza border and in the cities of Netivot and Ofakim to remain in shelters. Residents in the southern Negev, some communities in the Lakhish region and the cities of Be’er Sheva and Ashdod are required to be near shelters. Public gatherings are forbidden in open spaces in these areas.

School was cancelled in all Gaza border communities, as well as in Be’er Sheva, Omer, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Kiryat Gat and Kiryat Malachi.