Hamas has carried out its threat to continue to attack Israelis with rockets and mortar shells, and shortly after midnight fired a Kassam missile that exploded in a southern Ashkelon industrial area near a large electric power plant that serves Gaza as well as southern Israel.
Terrorists also fired at least two mortar shells on farm areas in the Eshkol region. No injuries or damage was reported.
Residents in Ashkelon said they heard the rocket blast but that the Code Red early-warning system did not sound. The alarm gives people approximately 20 seconds to run for cover.
The attacks followed by 24 hours a clash between the IDF and Gaza terrorists who fired an anti-tank missile at soldiers. They returned fire, killing one terrorist and wounding four others. The cell was identified as being aligned with the Al-Qaeda international terrorist organization.
Hamas’ terrorist activity has served as a reminder that any agreement that may be reached between Israel and the Palestinian Authority for establishing a new Arab country within Israel’s current borders will have little meaning without the inclusion of Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.
The United States, which is mediating the resumption of Israeli-PA discussions, has not dealt directly with the potentially explosive problem of creating a new Arab state without Gaza. Another alternative would be to accept the return of Hamas to the Palestinian Authority government, headed by the rival Fatah faction.