Shortly after 2 AM on Thursday, 29 Tammuz, residents of Ashkelon, Karmiya, Zikim and area communities were awakened to the sound of the Red Alert sirens. A rocket fired from Gaza landed in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council. B’chasdei Hashem there were no fatalities or injuries in the attack. The air force announced it retaliated by striking terrorist targets in Gaza.

Southern Israeli residents and leaders are growing increasingly impatient and concerned amid an increase in the frequency of rocket fire. They warn that once again we see the pattern is repeating itself, sporadic rocket fire to test Israel followed by an air force strike, a retaliation that is obviously not sufficiently painful for the enemy to halt the rocket fire. Residents are rapidly growing tired of the same mantra from cabinet ministers, who do little else other than warn Hamas.

For now Israel is not signaling any stronger response as the sporadic rocket fire into southern Israel continues.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)