Israel under fire - April 2011

Israel under fire - April 2011

Following the missile attack on a school bus on Thursday, April 7, over 120 rockets and mortar shells were fired on Israel's south by Gaza terror groups over the weekend.

Over the past 48 hours, terrorist organizations in Gaza fired over 120 Grad missiles, rockets and mortars at the Israeli home front, throughout southern Israel. Since Thursday, about 10 Grad missiles and rockets were intercepted by IAF Aerial Defense Corps forces, using the "Iron Dome" system stationed in Beersheba and Ashkelon.

The farming communities of the Sha'ar Hanegev and Eshkol regional councils have been subjected to continuous mortar and rocket attacks. One of rockets that struck a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, late on Saturday afternoon, hit a main water pipe. One rocket fell in the Eshkol Regional Council area and caused damage to homes. Three people remained hospitalized at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon suffering from shock after experiencing rocket attacks. Six other shock victims were released to their homes. Rockets also fell in the Lachish region, in the western Negev.

Summary of IDF activity in response attacks from Gaza (Communicated by the IDF Spokesperson)

Over the past 48 hours, in response to the incident in which a school bus was hit with an anti-tank missile near Sa'ad on Thursday, April 7, 2011, combined Israel Air Force, Armored and Infantry forces are operating in the Gaza Strip in order to restore the calm to Israel's southern communities.

IAF aircraft and armored forces targeted eleven squads of terrorists in the northern and southern Gaza Strip, immediately following their firing of rockets and mortars at the Israeli home front, deliberately targeting Israeli civilians.

Following heavy rocket and mortar fire at residents of the Eshkol Regional Council, fired from within a civilian neighborhood in southern Gaza on Friday (April 8), an IAF aircraft targeted two terrorist squads at the launch sites. Next to one of the targets, in addition to the terror squad, uninvolved civilians were apparently injured. The IDF regrets that the Hamas terrorist organization chooses to operate from within its civilian population, using it as a "human shield".

IAF aircraft targeted 15 terror activity sites in the Gaza Strip, including terror infrastructure sites, Hamas outposts, smuggling tunnels and weapons manufacturing and storage facilities. The targets struck included a truck containing weaponry in the northern Gaza Strip and a smuggling tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. Direct hits were confirmed.

Additionally, during joint IDF-ISA activities, IAF aircraft targeted Hamas commanders and operatives, including a senior Hamas operative in the southern Gaza Strip, Tayser Abu Snima, who was directly and physically involved in the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit . In addition, he held several major roles in the military wing of Hamas and was involved in a significant number of terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. Most recently, he was in charge of executing a terror attack from Sinai, firing rockets at the city of Eilat. The Shalit family was notified of the incident.

The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians, and will continue to operate with strength and determination against any terrorist organization using terror against the State of Israel. The Hamas terrorist organization is solely responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip.

ENDS

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