Attack on Beersheba in early hours of Saturday comes as Israelis started recovering from 2 days of intensive fighting which saw Gaza terror groups fire over 450 projectiles
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Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, November 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Two rockets were fired into Israel in the predawn hours of Saturday morning in a fresh breach of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza terror groups.
Both projectiles, fired toward Beersheba, were shot down by soldiers operating the Iron Dome missile defense system, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The rockets set off warning sirens in Beersheba for the first time this week.
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The Magen David Adom emergency and rescue service said it was treating five people for anxiety and four who were injured while running for bomb shelters following the attack.
The incident came as Israelis had started recovering from two days of intense fighting between Israel and Gaza terror groups.
From the predawn Tuesday to Thursday morning, Israel and the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization fought a battle in which over 450 rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel from Gaza, and the IDF responded with dozens of airstrikes on Islamic Jihad facilities and on the terror cells as they were firing and preparing to launch rockets.
The escalation began when an IDF targeted missile strike killed Baha Abu al-Ata, a commander in the Islamic Jihad terror group who Israel said was the “prime instigator” of terrorism from Gaza over the past year.
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Palestinian sources said 34 Gazans were killed in the two days of conflict. Israel said 25 of the fatalities were terrorists; human rights officials said 16 civilians were among the dead.
Fifty-eight Israelis were lightly and moderately injured or treated for anxiety.
Most of the rockets from Gaza either landed in open fields or were intercepted by Israeli air defenses. Some struck homes, businesses and streets, causing injuries and significant property damage. Dozens of people were also hurt as they fell running to bomb shelters.
In response to the attacks, the Israeli military conducted dozens of strikes on Islamic Jihad bases and weapons facilities, as well as rocket-launching teams throughout the Strip. The Hamas terror group, which rules the Strip, refrained from partaking in the violence.
Israel and Islamic Jihad agreed to a ceasefire on Thursday morning, although there were four rocket attacks throughout the day Thursday and the IDF attacked Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza overnight in response.
On Friday schools remained closed in the Gaza periphery, but at noon local councils announced a return to normal life.
Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the head of the Israeli military’s Southern Command, warned Gaza-area residents Thursday that the rocket fire might continue even with the ceasefire agreement in place.
The general said the IDF would be working to thwart these attacks. “If we identity launch efforts, we will strike the cells,” Halevi said.
Other Israeli leaders have warned they would not hesitate to return to battle.
Islamic Jihad’s military wing also threatened Israel that it was ready to continue fighting.JOIN US!A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR OF TIMES OF ISRAELDAVID HOROVITZ
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