Israel – Gaza terrorists continued to fire rockets into southern Israel on Thursday morning killing three people and injuring two others in Kiryat Malachi.
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According to Lubavitch.com, The victims were members of the city’s Chabad community. The victims, two men and a woman, were identified as Ahron Smadga, Yitzchak Amselam, and a 25 year old expectant woman, Mirah (nee Cohen) Scharf. An infant and several children were among the wounded who were taken to nearby hospitals.
Israeli media reported that the victims had ignored orders to protect themselves.
“We lost people today who could have been with us if they had just followed instructions,” said Avi Dichter, the Cabinet minister in charge of Israeli civil defense.
More than 200 rockets have been fired from Gaza into the South in the 24 hours after the IDF launched a campaign Wednesday to root out the terror infrastructure in the coastal territory, beginning with the targeted killing of Ahmed Jabari, the chief of Hamas’s military wing.
MDA paramedics treated five wounded people at the site of the Kiryat Malachi attack, in which a rocket hit a four-story building. Three people were pronounced dead on the scene and two others were suffering moderate injuries, including a baby.
A house in Ashdod and a school in Ofakim near Beersheba also sustained damage from rockets on Thursday morning. Rockets also landed in the Eshkol Regional Council area, Gan Yavne and Ashkelon.
The IDF Spokesman’s Office stated the Iron Dome rocket defense system has successfully intercepted 48 rockets since the operation began.
A separate IDF spokesman confirmed that all Palestinian terror factions took part in rocket fire overnight Wednesday, with Hamas trying to take the lead.
He added that the IDF “believes the rocket fire will intensify.”
Since beginning its operation, the IDF has struck nearly 200 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza, including several terrorist cells preparing to fire rockets at Israel and medium-range rocket launchers located across the Strip.
Tank fire also was directed at terror targets, he added.
Palestinian sources said that 13 people were killed in Gaza as a result of the IAF strikes, with more than a hundred suffering injuries.
The spokesman concluded by describing the Hamas-ruled Strip as “a forward Iranian base,” and urged the populace to remain steadfast, as “home front resilience is vital for the continuing operation.”
Schools within 40 km. of the Gaza Strip were declared closed Thursday, and residents were urged to follow directives from the IDF Home Front Command. Magen David Adom paramedics treated 13 Israelis for injuries suffered overnight prior to the fatal strike in Kiryat Malachi, the organization said. Of the injured, four suffered light wounds while nine more suffered shock symptoms.
Gaza-border communities were in lockdown, with residents ordered to remain in their homes if they live within 7 km. of Gaza.
Explosions have been reported as far away as Dimona, some 75 km. from the Gaza Strip.
At an emergency meeting in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, the security cabinet authorized Defense Minister Ehud Barak to mobilize reservists if needed.
The cabinet also agreed that the IDF should continue to act against terrorist infrastructure and activity in Gaza. It instructed the Foreign Ministry to begin a diplomatic public relations campaign to explain that Israel was acting in self-defense against military targets, as the continued rocket barrage had become intolerable.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke on the telephone on Wednesday night with US President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. He was also scheduled to speak with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The prime minister thanked Obama and Biden for taking the position that Israel had a right to defend itself.
The military operation immediately increased tensions with Egypt, which condemned Israel’s actions and recalled its ambassador.
Content is provided as courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
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שומר ישראל יגן עליהם
Baruch Dayan HaEmes
השם ירחם
It’s beyond me why people within the “rocket zone” wouldn’t evacuate in such a time. There should be no citizens within a few miles surrounding the gaza strip.
Unreal,
They are chabad shiluchim to new delhi, india and today is the yortziet of Gabi and Rivka Holtzberg HY”D!!
ואף בהיותם בארץ אויביהם לא מאסתם ולא געלתים בנים אתם לה’ אלהיכם אהבתי אתכם אמר השם
Its time for Jews to abandon suicidal liberalism and do what’s necessary to survive, with Hashem’s help.
In WWII, America and Britain sent huge fleets of hundreds of heavy bombers over Nazi Germany’s crowded cities, mercilessly leveling the country, without any regard for the resulting massive civilian casualties. The normal, non-liberal leaders of America and Britain understood that this was the only way to stop the Nazi evil.
If Islamo-Nazis in Gaza (Yemach Shemam) are targeting the Jewish civilian populations in Israel, Israel must launch devastating retaliation against Arab civilians in Gaza.
Israel must show no mercy whatsoever to the new Hitlerites, the Islamo-Nazi two legged evil beasts and savages in Aza. Aza, one of the most filthy, evil hell holes on Earth must be obliterated from the Earth just as Nazi Germany was obliterated. There is absolutely nothing immoral or contrary to Jewish law in such a response.
Nazi Germany did not surrender until the country was bombed back to the stone age by the US and Britain. When Gaza is completely reduced to rubble, like Nazi Germany was in 1945, then the Islamic missiles will stop hitting Israel.
Israel should do everything to improve the conditions and alleviate the arab attacks. The world must know the difference between dignity and indifference.
to numbers 4 and 5…..did u invite them to stay with you till it’s safe to go home??if you didnt and have no intention to do so…..keep quiet PLEASE….this is their home
Should most- or at least half- of the country evacuate?
Where would you consider safe? Tel Aviv? oops, no it’s been fired on……
To #12 -“Truth Be told”-Your facts are wrong. The Nazis kept on fighting for years, even after their cities were reduced to rubble. The only reason that they surrendered is because the Russians on the East, and the Americans and the British on the west, smashed the Nazi armies, on the ground. The war was won on the ground; the aerial bombing helped, but did not defeat the Nazis. Even after Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, there were sporatic hit and run Nazi guerilla attacks, against the occupying forces in Germany, for years, Also, after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuked, and Tokyo was destroyed by conventional bombing, the Japanese kept on fighting, and did not surrender for a week. However, they could have kept fighting on the ground, but gave up, after the Emporer ordered them to surrender. I don’t agree with you that Arab women, children, and non-combatants should be bombed. This is not World War Two. We don’t engage in the same tactics that the Arabs are specialists in, namely, sacrificing civilians.
cut off the heads of all who preach – kill Jews —
To#17-Esther- Your statement simply is not true. Over 45 years ago, the IDF took special precautions to minimize civilian Arab casualties in East Jerusalem. Hence, East Jerusalem was not bombed by the Israeli Air Force, but a large ground force was sent in, instead. Also, during the Viet Nam war, the U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Navy also avoided civilian areas. Yes, there were civilians killed, but they were not intentionally targeted. It is really astounding that there are those on this board, who claim to be very frum, but show absolutely no compassion to civilian members of other faiths, who are non-combatants.
just 3 israelis killed , over 200 attacks from Gaza and photographs from just one building, do you think we are blind ?? go just see what you did in Gaza hundred of them are killed, this is not a war and selfdefence this is real terrorism, why U.N is not solving this because of you israelis, U.N is under control of israel and also america but remember this will end one day, “REMEMBER YOU WILL BURN IN HELL”