Terrorists continue bombardment of southern Israel, causing damages; Beersheba, Ashdod, Ashkelon targeted by powerful Grad rockets.
By YAAKOV LAPPINDamage from Kassam 390(photo credit: YAAKOV LAPPIN)
Terrorists in Gaza continued bombarding southern Israeli cities and outlying areas with rockets on Monday, sending over 40 projectiles over the border in waves of attacks.For a fourth day in a row, all of the south’s major cities – Beersheba, Ashdod and Ashkelon – were targeted by powerful Grad rockets. Air raid sirens rang out across the cities, sending residents fleeing for cover repeatedly. In one instance, the Iron Dome failed to intercept a rocket over Ashdod. It slammed into the city center, lightly injuring one woman, sending several others into shock, and heavily damaging stores and vehicles.Rockets hurtled towards Beersheba in the morning, and residents heard rockets explode on the city’s outskirts. Ashdod became the main target later in the day.A rocket exploded in an open area in Gedera in the afternoon, setting off sirens in Gedera and the Ashdod suburb of Gan Yavne. It became the northernmost strike by terrorists in the current confrontation.The south was intensely bombarded in the afternoon, when dozens of rockets were fired by Islamic Jihad. “We remain on a heightened state of security.Bomb Squad officers will continue to be on increased patrol for the next 24 hours,” police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.Rocket ranges from GazaThe Eshkol Regional Council was blasted by Kassam and Grad rockets early in the morning. One rocket exploded near a kindergarten built to withstand rockets. In Negev, rockets damaged buildings and cars.Later in the morning, barrages of rockets were fired at Ashdod and Gan Yavne.Most were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, though one rocket exploded in southern Gan Yavne in an open area.
“My children are in a state of high fear,” Nissim Twitto, a resident of Gan Yavne and a father of four, told Israel Radio. “With all due respect to resilience, the kids get edgy when the siren sounds, and nothing calms them down afterwards.”Twitto added that his family is losing money because of his inability to work during the attacks, as schools are closed and parents must remain at home with their children.Click here for special JPost coverage
