The two young victims of last night\'s terrorist attack are Pvt. Liron Harpaz, 19, of Elei Sinai, and her friend Assaf Yitzchaki, 20, of Lod. They will both be buried this afternoon. Three Arab terrorists infiltrated Elei Sinai, about ten kilometers south of Ashkelon, around 7:30 PM last night, shortly after the end of the holiday. They opened fire and threw grenades in all directions, killing the two and wounding sixteen others. These included two toddlers, 3 and 4 years old; 13 are still hospitalized, including one in serious but stable condition.
The three terrorists were killed by IDF soldiers. One was killed towards the beginning of the attack, and two were later felled by IDF sniper fire after they took over a house in the community. The soldiers continued searching Elei Sinai for several hours afterwards to ensure that no terrorists remained.
Residents in Elei Sinai said that they have long warned that the army\'s protection of their area is not sufficient, and that sections of the fence separating the town from the PA areas are penetrable. One resident said today, \"It must be understood that our three [northern Gaza] communities - Elei Sinai, Dugit, and Nisanit - are preventing the terrorists from entering Ashkelon and the electric plant there.\"
Roni Dudi, Elei Sinai local council head, told Arutz-7 today, \"We are a strong community, and nothing will move us from here. We have a strong social fiber, as well; although we are a secular community, we have hired a community rabbi who lives here... It is just too bad that for years we have been complaining of security problems, and they nod their heads but do nothing. The electronic fence that we have is simply not enough; even if an electronic warning is given off when terrorists approach, by the time the army realizes that there has been a penetration, the terrorists are at our homes, as happened last night... We demand that there be another outer perimeter fence, so that the fence around our community is the second-level of protection, not the first. Tonight the Defense Minister is supposed to be here for a meeting, and we will again make this demand. We are not asking for extravagant things; we\'re not asking for the army to take over several kilometers south of Elei Sinai, but rather just enough to make it safe for us.\"
The three terrorists were killed by IDF soldiers. One was killed towards the beginning of the attack, and two were later felled by IDF sniper fire after they took over a house in the community. The soldiers continued searching Elei Sinai for several hours afterwards to ensure that no terrorists remained.
Residents in Elei Sinai said that they have long warned that the army\'s protection of their area is not sufficient, and that sections of the fence separating the town from the PA areas are penetrable. One resident said today, \"It must be understood that our three [northern Gaza] communities - Elei Sinai, Dugit, and Nisanit - are preventing the terrorists from entering Ashkelon and the electric plant there.\"
Roni Dudi, Elei Sinai local council head, told Arutz-7 today, \"We are a strong community, and nothing will move us from here. We have a strong social fiber, as well; although we are a secular community, we have hired a community rabbi who lives here... It is just too bad that for years we have been complaining of security problems, and they nod their heads but do nothing. The electronic fence that we have is simply not enough; even if an electronic warning is given off when terrorists approach, by the time the army realizes that there has been a penetration, the terrorists are at our homes, as happened last night... We demand that there be another outer perimeter fence, so that the fence around our community is the second-level of protection, not the first. Tonight the Defense Minister is supposed to be here for a meeting, and we will again make this demand. We are not asking for extravagant things; we\'re not asking for the army to take over several kilometers south of Elei Sinai, but rather just enough to make it safe for us.\"