
Gaza terrorists continued to bombard southern Israel throughout the day on Sunday, including during the three-hour "quiet" time set aside by IDF troops to enable Arab residents to be able to stock up on humanitarian items.
A Grad rocket exploded near an empty kindergarten in Ashkelon a few minutes before 4:00 p.m., sending a number of residents into severe emotional trauma. The explosion damaged the building but no one was physically injured.
A Grad rocket also landed in Ashdod at the same time, exploding next to an apartment building. Several people were treated for emotional shock.
Two short-range Kassam rockets were fired at the Gaza Belt region shortly after 3:00 p.m., landing in the Sderot area. One of the missiles struck a factory, damaging the building and sending a worker into emotional shock. The other exploded in an open area.
Terrorists Attack Again During Ceasefire
Gaza terrorists also launched a massive barrage of eight rockets at southern Israel between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m.
Four of the rockets slammed into the Eshkol region, three missiles exploded in the besieged city of Sderot and one longer-range rocket struck Kiryat Malachi. There were no reports of injuries in any of the attacks.
A long-range rocket was also fired at Ashkelon shortly after 12:00 noon as well. The missile landed in an open area and caused no injuries or damage.
The attacks came one hour after daily three-hour IDF humanitarian ceasefire had begun. The break, which was scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., is intended to allow Gaza residents to be able to stock up on free supplies of food and medicine from international humanitarian aid organizations.
Earlier in the day, a rocket that was fired from the northern Gaza town of Sajawiya fell short, landing instead on the Hamas-run side of the security barrier.
Early-Morning Barrage Hits Be'er Sheva Vehicle
The first attacks of the morning began with a Grad missile attack on Be'er Sheva that struck the city early Sunday morning just as teens were setting out to school for the first time in more than a week. Shortly before 9:00 a.m., a Gaza rocket also hit the western Negev town of Netivot. No one was injured and no damage was reported.
Two rockets slammed into populated areas in the city at 7:25 a.m., one scoring a direct hit on a car and damaging a nearby building with the blast as well. The second missile hit an electric pole. At least five people were treated for severe emotional shock, but no physical injuries were reported. Although a number of residents reported hearing two other distinct blasts, no other missiles were reported by officials.
A third rocket landed in the Sdot HaNegev region, also causing no injuries or damage.
The barrage was launched half an hour before the schools were to open their doors to the 2,700 students for the first time in 10 days. The city had passed a quiet Sabbath, with no rocket attacks reported.
Part of the city's high school student body was to return to classes on Sunday, with the 11th and 12th graders ordered to study in bomb shelters. Classes also resumed in Ashdod, Kiryat Malachi and Gan Yavneh as well, and all students have returned to classes in Sderot. Those students in Ofakim who study in fortified schools were able to return to class on Sunday as well.
Not so Ashkelon, however: the coastal city was struck by several long-range rockets in the afternoon hours on the Sabbath, and at least 27 people were treated for severe emotional trauma. Students have not yet returned to school in Ashkelon.
Nor did Ashdod escape unscathed: a number of Grad rockets also exploded in open areas around Israel's second-largest port city, disturbing the Sabbath for its significant religious population. Other communities in the Gaza Belt region were struck by shorter-range rockets as well.
Miraculously, no one was physically injured in any of the Sabbath attacks.