A quiet Sunday morning in southern Israel was disrupted once again with the blare of the Color Red rocket alert siren, warning of an impending attack by Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists in Gaza.
Rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza resumed with the start of the school year in Israel.
The warning, which came at about 10:00 a.m., gave residents of western Negev towns a window of safety of some 15-25 seconds to race for cover before the Grad Katyusha rocket made impact.
It's impossible to know, prior to landing, just where the rocket will hit, due to the nature of the missile, which is randomly aimed.
Officials said this time, the rocket landed in the Sdot Negev region, outside the town of Netivot, where the tomb of the revered Kabbalistic Sage, the Baba Sali, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira, is located.
No one was physically injured, but an agricultural hothouse was damaged, requiring thousands of shekels in repairs. Numerous residents suffered anxiety symptoms, and those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the stress of living under constant rocket fire had symptoms triggered by the attack.
Approximately 20 percent of people who experience a trauma later develop PTSD. Symptoms of the disorder include flashbacks, nightmares, paranoia and insomnia. However, as many as 85 percent of those living within reach of the constant rocket fire in the past decade have met criteria for PTSD, according to various clinical professionals.
Earlier Sunday morning, Gaza Arab terrorists shelled the Eshkol region, near the border area.
The attack came at about 8:00 a.m., just as children were walking to school, and parents were leaving their homes for work. Instead, the Color Red air raid siren activated, providing a bare few seconds of time for residents to take cover, and make it to safety.
As citizens waited for the “all clear,” officials scoured the area to ensure no other attacks were pending.
One mortar shell struck a field near an Israeli town, but no buildings or other property was damaged. No one was physically injured, although trauma victims, some children and others suffered anxiety symptoms.
On Friday, PA Arab terrorists attacked southern Israel with rocket fire that struck a house early in the day. No one was physically wounded in the attack on Sderot, said police spokesperson Luba Samri, but the roof of the house was damaged and a resident was hospitalized in a state of shock.
A second missile exploded in the area near the coastal city of Ashkelon, with similar results, the latest in a barrage of attacks from Gaza allegedly fired by a radical Salafi Islamist terror group claiming responsibility for the earlier attacks.
Nevertheless, Israel holds Gaza's ruling Hamas terrorist organization for all attacks against its citizens emanating from the region, said a statement from the army spokesperson.