The rocket bombardment of Israel continues: 21 mortar shells and 16 rockets on Tuesday, and seven rockets so far Wednesday morning. Damage was caused.
The rockets landed in the western Negev areas, and one smashed a building in the Shaar HaNegev industrial zone. Another one landed just outside Sderot, yet again unnerving the citizens of the city who have heard the Red Dawn early warning alarm sound many times over the past several days.
Two rockets were fired during the night, two around 7 AM, and three more about an hour later.
Fatah Did It
Responsibility for the latest wave of Kassam rockets was claimed not by Hamas, but rather by the Al Aqsa Brigades of Fatah, under the auspices of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas has an international reputation as a "moderate" in comparison with Hamas.
One of Tuesday's rockets smashed directly into a home in Sderot. The house was empty, but several people nearby suffered shock. The owner of the home said that when he came home, "I saw our dog trembling in fear, and the bathroom was nearly totally destroyed... Olmert should come here and see how we're living. It's nothing more than roulette."
Moyal: Exodus is Worrisome
Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal says he estimates that at least 15% of the city's population has left because of the rockets in the past year. "Those who leave," he said, "don't come back." He said last week that "if Sderot falls, the State of Israel will follow."
Moyal met on Tuesday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in a meeting planned a month ago. Speaking afterwards to reporters, Moyal had praise for the Prime Minister, saying, "He seems to be much more on top of the situation with the Kassams and with the residents' suffering. He won't rest until there is quiet here, and my impression is that a decision will soon be made that could be very dramatic in regards to what is going on here."