A Kassam exploded at a house in Sderot, causing heavy damage and sending people into shock as Hamas renewed rocket attacks on Israel late Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters, police and rescue teams rushed to the scene to treat the victims, one of whom also suffered light wounds in his hand from shrapnel. A second rocket exploded nearby, causing no damage.
The attack came at the same time Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Democratic Senator John Kerry, who visited Gaza earlier this year, were discussing the Obama administration’s push for peace with the Palestinian Authority.
The explosion also coincided with the announcement by PA sources that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Fatah party, has given up trying to reach an agreement with Hamas and will announce a new government Tuesday night.
Earlier in the day, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Yuval Diskin told a Knesset panel that Hamas is maintaining quiet in order to buy time and re-arm.
Last week, two rockets were fired, one of them landing in the Gaza area and neither of them causing any damage or injuries.