The army responded to the attack with some 80 mortar shells towards northern Gaza and a helicopter attack, killing three terrorists... Dozens of families in Carmiyah have moved out en-masse... The baby's condition has improved slightly... Another Kassam rocket landed near Sderot late this morning, causing no injuries or damage.
Some 56 families from the former Jewish towns of Nisanit and Elei Sinai in northern Gaza are living in the temporary housing complex of Carmiyah, between Gaza and Ashkelon. The government euphemistically calls it a "caravilla" community, while others refer to it as a refugee camp. The new homes - hundreds of which were built for expellees in Nitzan, Yad Binyamin and elsewhere - were built for temporary use, and the residents have complained of structural defects.
The main problem, it now appears, is that the promised bomb shelters have not been supplied. Carmiyah has suffered at least three direct or nearly-direct hits from Kassam rockets fired from Gaza - yet the rooms have not been built. Following the most recent rocket attack, on Friday night, most of the residents moved back to the Ashkelon hotel in which they were housed immediately after the expulsion. The hotel was not quite prepared for them, however, and they spent the night in sleeping bags in the dining room.
Contacts are underway to find a solution for the once-again Kassam-beleaguered residents.
The Kassam rocket smashed into the home of seven-month old Osher Amar, causing him wounds in his skull and brain. His condition was reported to have improved yesterday. His father and uncle are also still hospitalized, with light wounds.
Following the rocket attack, the IDF responded with some 80 mortar shells towards northern Gaza. These were supplemented Saturday night with a helicopter attack on terrorists near Gaza City. Three Fatah terrorists of the Al-Aqsa Brigades were killed, and five were wounded. The Israel Air Force bombing targeted a Fatah terrorist headquarters used for training and planning.
Some 300 Kassam rockets have been fired from Gaza towards Israel since the Disengagement.
Carmiyah is located just two kilometers east of a main national power plant. Other critical infrastructures in range of the Gaza-fired Kassams are the containers of the Eilat-Ashkelon water pipeline, as well as the desalination plant to which it leads.
The Land of Israel Legal Forum warned Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz back in September of the critical dangers facing the expelled residents living around Gaza, and specifically in Carmiyah.
"When the defense establishment reinforced the Zikim Army Base against rockets," said Nechi Eyal, speaking for the Forum, "we also demanded the same for the homes of the expellees, but nothing was done."
The National Union party responded to the Kassam attacks with a jab at Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert:
"We propose that Olmert recruit another few thousand violent soldiers to brutally beat settlers and destroy houses. That’s the only way he can hide the murderous rocket attacks from the public."