Dozens of people are being treated for hysteria in Ashdod as a result of rocket attacks earlier tonight, 1 Cheshvan, motzei Shabbos. It appears the rocket landed in the building parking lot, explaining the cars on fire. Baruch Hashem, the Katyusha rocket missed the actual structure however, not by much. One person is listed in light-to-moderate condition. It remains unclear if the injuries are from shrapnel of another cause.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz has summoned senior officers for an urgent meeting tonight, motzei Shabbos, to evaluate the rapidly deteriorating situation in southern Israel. The air force commander, southern district commander and other senior commanders will be in attendance. At this time, it is unclear if southern area schools will be in session on Sunday.

The IDF has announced that no gatherings of 500 or more people may be held in any area 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Gaza border.

At the time of this report, there are no explanations as to why the Iron Dome system seems to have failed to intercept incoming rockets.

A roundup of the afternoon rocket fire as follows:

At about 5:00pm on Shabbos, between mincha and maariv, five rockets landed in and around Ashdod. Two additional rockets were fired into Gan Yavne. The area was then quiet until about 6:30pm, when a rocket launch was detected towards Ofakim, following by rocket that landed in the parking lot, as reported above.

It appears there were also mortar shells that landed further south, closer to the Gaza border, in open areas.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)