The Israeli army eliminated three Islamic Jihad terrorists and wounded a fourth with an air-to-ground missile after they prepared to attack southern Israel with rockets late Tuesday night. Secondary explosions were heard, indicating that the Israeli missile, or a second one, also hit ammunition or loaded rockets.
The cell was operating in central Gaza, near the Khan Yunis area. It managed to fire one rocket before being targeted, and it apparently fell on the Gaza side of the security barrier or landed in an open area in the western Negev.
The IDF’s quick response is in accordance with government policy to retaliate to every terrorist attack.
More than 150 rockets and mortars have been fired at southern Israel since the beginning of 2010, and more than 440 rockets were fired from the Gaza area since the ceasefire agreement that ended Operation Cast Lead in mid-January 2009.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned earlier this week that the Israeli army would respond to every single rocket fired from the. "Our first commitment is to security, and I suggest Hamas and the other organization not test us on that,” he said.
Elsewhere in Israel, Palestinian Authority terrorists continued to attack motorists, wounding an Israeli Arab with a rock that struck his car west of the communities of Kedumim and Karnei and Ginot Shomron on the road to the metropolitan Tel Aviv city of Kfar Saba
Near Shechem in Samaria, the IDF arrested five wanted terrorists and confiscated an M-16 rifle, three pistols a large quantity of military equipment and ammunition, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.