Iron Dome
Iron DomeFlash 90

Air raid sirens sounded Wednesday afternoon in the Eshkol Regional Council, as well as in the Ashdod and Ashkelon areas, after Gaza terrorists fired heavy barrages of rockets at the civilian centers in Israel.

Most of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. No one was injured.

Earlier on Wednesday, seven rockets exploded in one of the Jewish towns near Gaza. Some of the missiles landed near families' homes, which sustained light damage. Another rocket exploded within an educational compound, which due to the tensions was empty of people.

Residents of the towns within four kilometres of Gaza have been asked to enter their bomb shelters and remain there until further notice is given.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi (Blue and White) on Wednesday afternoon held a briefing in Tel Aviv for approximately 70 ambassadors and foreign diplomats.

"We are making unprecedented efforts to avoid harming civilians," he told them. "In all of the buildings we brought down, no one was killed."

Netanyahu also expressed hope that Israel will be able to return calm to the area, and showed the ambassadors video clips published by the IDF showing operations which were canceled at the last moment due to concerns that children or other uninvolved individuals were near the targets.

Meanwhile, the IDF has continued its attacks on Hamas terror targets: IAF aircraft eliminated a Hamas terrorist in eastern Gaza, as he attempted to launch rockets towards Israel, and eliminated a Hamas rocket launchpad in Khan Yunis.

Earlier, IAF fighter planes struck a Jabalia building used as a military site by Hamas' technology department, as well as an underground area used by Hamas for rocket launches, beneath Gaza city.

The IDF also attacked an observation post which had a shaft leading down to a Hamas terror tunnel. The post is part of Hamas' tunnel infrastructure in Gaza.