Gaza terrorists fired a short-range “Kassam” rocket on southern Israel on Thursday night. The rocket hit a field in the Sdot Negev region, causing no injuries.
The attack was the first of its kind in several weeks. Rocket attacks from Gaza have been relatively infrequent since the conclusion of Operation Cast Lead earlier this year.
On Wednesday, President Shimon Peres met with residents of a Gaza-area kibbutz (cooperative community). Residents told the president that this summer, for the first time in years, children are able to play outdoors, and are not restricted to taking part in activities held in or near bomb shelters.
Also Wednesday, the new anti-ballistic defense system Iron Dome passed a series of live tests. The system is designed to protect civilians from short-range rocket attacks such as those favored by Gaza terrorists.
The system succeeded in demolishing a test rocket in mid-air.
The Iron Dome system is expected to intercept and destroy rockets fired from 3-72 kilometers (2-45) miles away. The system will be used against short and medium-range rockets and mortar shells. Previous rocket defense systems have focused on taking own larger, long-range rockets.