Protesting parents at the city’s high school announced they will not send their teens to classes in the aftermath of Wednesday’s all-day Kassam rocket attacks. A 57-year-old Muslim woman who immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union with her Jewish husband was killed and two people were seriously injured after 12 rockets slammed into the small town in four separate attacks.
Hundreds of people attended the funeral in Sderot yesterday - including two Arab Knesset Members. The presence of the latter aroused great opposition among the participants, who forcefully evicted them from the area.
Education Ministry officials told reporters late Wednesday night that students who are supposed to attend classes in unprotected schools in Sderot will instead be taken on trips around the country for several days at a time. Although the IDF Home Front Command fortified a number of schools in the city over the summer months, many of the education structures are still partially or totally vulnerable to rocket attacks. Students who learn in those classrooms will be taken to schools out of Kassam range.
Wealthy businessman Arkady Gaydamak, who built tent cities for those evacuated from northern Israel during the summer's war, has offered to help evacuate Sderot's children for a certain period of time.
Both initiatives have been slammed by some politicians, who claim that it is useless to evacuate residents for a temporary period if the problem of Kassam rockets will not be solved prior to their return. Residents are also not happy with the idea, saying that they cannot send three-year-olds away for several days. Others say that there is no choice but to do so.
The General Security Service (Shabak) is now recommending that the Defense Minister’s home in Sderot be fortified to withstand rocket attacks after several rockets fell in close proximity to his house.
One of those injured yesterday was Peretz’s bodyguard who was on duty outside the Defense Minister’s home at the time. The bodyguard, 24-year-old Maor Peretz, lost both his legs in the explosion.
Peretz refused to comply with the GSS recommendations, however. The long-time Sderot resident said he would not permit his home to be protected if his neighbors remained exposed to the falling rockets.
The Israel Air Force struck two Hamas targets in the area of Jabalya in northern Gaza last night in the wake of the rocket attacks. The targeted facilities were used as weapons storage facilities and commander posts. Palestinian Authority sources said two people were injured in the strike. Three Hamas structures in the Rafiah area in southern Gaza were also hit by IAF missile attacks. No injuries were reported.
Ezra HaLevi contributed to this report from Sderot
Hundreds of people attended the funeral in Sderot yesterday - including two Arab Knesset Members. The presence of the latter aroused great opposition among the participants, who forcefully evicted them from the area.
Education Ministry officials told reporters late Wednesday night that students who are supposed to attend classes in unprotected schools in Sderot will instead be taken on trips around the country for several days at a time. Although the IDF Home Front Command fortified a number of schools in the city over the summer months, many of the education structures are still partially or totally vulnerable to rocket attacks. Students who learn in those classrooms will be taken to schools out of Kassam range.
Wealthy businessman Arkady Gaydamak, who built tent cities for those evacuated from northern Israel during the summer's war, has offered to help evacuate Sderot's children for a certain period of time.
Both initiatives have been slammed by some politicians, who claim that it is useless to evacuate residents for a temporary period if the problem of Kassam rockets will not be solved prior to their return. Residents are also not happy with the idea, saying that they cannot send three-year-olds away for several days. Others say that there is no choice but to do so.
The General Security Service (Shabak) is now recommending that the Defense Minister’s home in Sderot be fortified to withstand rocket attacks after several rockets fell in close proximity to his house.
One of those injured yesterday was Peretz’s bodyguard who was on duty outside the Defense Minister’s home at the time. The bodyguard, 24-year-old Maor Peretz, lost both his legs in the explosion.
Peretz refused to comply with the GSS recommendations, however. The long-time Sderot resident said he would not permit his home to be protected if his neighbors remained exposed to the falling rockets.
The Israel Air Force struck two Hamas targets in the area of Jabalya in northern Gaza last night in the wake of the rocket attacks. The targeted facilities were used as weapons storage facilities and commander posts. Palestinian Authority sources said two people were injured in the strike. Three Hamas structures in the Rafiah area in southern Gaza were also hit by IAF missile attacks. No injuries were reported.
Ezra HaLevi contributed to this report from Sderot