A series of lethal terrorist hit Israel on the first day of Sukkot, claiming the lives of two toddlers, two soldiers and a woman.
The attacks began Wednesday evening, as Israel was about to settle in for the first day of the weeklong Sukkot holiday. A Kassam rocket fired from northern PA-controlled Gaza slammed into narrow Haggai Court in Sderot, critically wounding two small children playing together. Dorit Aniso, 2, and Yuval Abebeh, 4, cousins and children of new immigrants from Ethiopia, died of their massive injuries a short time following the attack. About 25 people were transported to two hospitals in Ashkelon and Be'er Sheva, including one with serious wounds and one in moderate condition. The two small victims were buried in Sderot this morning, with thousands taking part in the double funeral. Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal said over the open graves, "No one will move us from here. The rules of the game have now changed. We will not rest until all the murderers have been defeated."
At around 3 AM Thursday morning, a Nahal Brigade soldier taking part in the army's anti-Kassam deployment in northern Gaza was killed when terrorists hurled a grenade at his position in the Beit Hanoun area. The victim was St.-Sgt. Gilad Fischer, 22, from Mitzpeh Hoshaya in the Galilee. Gilad is survived by his parents and three younger siblings, and was laid to rest this morning in his hometown. The bereaved father described this morning the horror of seeing the small IDF delegation walking up the steps to his home yesterday to give him the tragic news. "I knew it could only be one thing," he said, "and I felt that I was dying - dying, dying!"
Another soldier was seriously wounded in the Beit Hanoun attack, and a third sustained light injuries. The terrorists were eliminated in an ensuing firefight with IDF forces.
The third lethal terror attack occurred just seven hours later. At about 10 AM, a Palestinian terrorist opened fire in northern Gaza, murdering Shulamit Batito, 36, a nursery school teacher from Nisanit. She was felled while jogging on the road between Nisanit and Elei Sinai. St.-Sgt. Victor Ariel, 20, from Moshav Kadima near Netanya, a combat medic in the Shimshon unit, was in the initial IDF responding force - and another bout of terrorist fire killed him as he was attempting to resuscitate Shulamit. Other soldiers were wounded in the incident, including one in serious condition. Shulamit was laid to rest last night in the new cemetery in the Givat Tzion neighborhood of Ashkelon. St.-Sgt. Ariel will be buried this afternoon in Kadima.
Last night (Thursday), terrorists fired three more Kassam rockets at Sderot, with one crashing through the roof of a factory in the city's industrial zone.
The attacks began Wednesday evening, as Israel was about to settle in for the first day of the weeklong Sukkot holiday. A Kassam rocket fired from northern PA-controlled Gaza slammed into narrow Haggai Court in Sderot, critically wounding two small children playing together. Dorit Aniso, 2, and Yuval Abebeh, 4, cousins and children of new immigrants from Ethiopia, died of their massive injuries a short time following the attack. About 25 people were transported to two hospitals in Ashkelon and Be'er Sheva, including one with serious wounds and one in moderate condition. The two small victims were buried in Sderot this morning, with thousands taking part in the double funeral. Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal said over the open graves, "No one will move us from here. The rules of the game have now changed. We will not rest until all the murderers have been defeated."
At around 3 AM Thursday morning, a Nahal Brigade soldier taking part in the army's anti-Kassam deployment in northern Gaza was killed when terrorists hurled a grenade at his position in the Beit Hanoun area. The victim was St.-Sgt. Gilad Fischer, 22, from Mitzpeh Hoshaya in the Galilee. Gilad is survived by his parents and three younger siblings, and was laid to rest this morning in his hometown. The bereaved father described this morning the horror of seeing the small IDF delegation walking up the steps to his home yesterday to give him the tragic news. "I knew it could only be one thing," he said, "and I felt that I was dying - dying, dying!"
Another soldier was seriously wounded in the Beit Hanoun attack, and a third sustained light injuries. The terrorists were eliminated in an ensuing firefight with IDF forces.
The third lethal terror attack occurred just seven hours later. At about 10 AM, a Palestinian terrorist opened fire in northern Gaza, murdering Shulamit Batito, 36, a nursery school teacher from Nisanit. She was felled while jogging on the road between Nisanit and Elei Sinai. St.-Sgt. Victor Ariel, 20, from Moshav Kadima near Netanya, a combat medic in the Shimshon unit, was in the initial IDF responding force - and another bout of terrorist fire killed him as he was attempting to resuscitate Shulamit. Other soldiers were wounded in the incident, including one in serious condition. Shulamit was laid to rest last night in the new cemetery in the Givat Tzion neighborhood of Ashkelon. St.-Sgt. Ariel will be buried this afternoon in Kadima.
Last night (Thursday), terrorists fired three more Kassam rockets at Sderot, with one crashing through the roof of a factory in the city's industrial zone.