UPDATED: SPECIAL SHABBAT SECURITY REPORT

After continuous rocket fire at southern Israel, IAF hit 3 terror targets at the southern Gaza Strip, earlier.

By Mati Siber & Yoav Zitun

One rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip at Beersheba on Saturday evening and was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

The rocket fire in Beersheba was followed by an attack by Israel Air Force fighter jets on the rocket launcher that fired rockets at Ofakim. A direct hit was registered. Earlier, IAF planes attacked three terror targets in the southern Gaza Strip.

“The IDF is ready and prepared to defend the citizens of Israel from any threat and will continue acting determinedly and for as long as it takes until calm is restored,” a statement from the army said. “The Hamas terror organization is the address and carries the responsibility (for rocket fire).”

Western Negev communities have been suffering continuous rocket fire throughout the day Saturday. Two rockets and four mortar shell exploded in the Eshkol Regional Council and one IDF soldier sustained light injuries from shrapnel. The soldier was evacuated to the hospital for further treatment.

In addition, a Color Red rocket alert sounded in Ofakim and the Merhavim Regional Council in south Israel, and shortly after a volley of rockets was fired towards Ofakim, a city relatively distant from the Gaza Strip.

The Iron Dome anti-missile defense system shot down one of the incoming rockets, and the other two exploded in open areas. Half an hour later, a Color Red siren was sounded in Eshkol and Hof Ashkelon Regional Councils.

Before Saturday evening’s attacks, the IDF refrained from responding throughout the night and most of the day. The last attack carried out by the Israeli Air Force took place at 8pm on Friday, when the IDF Spokesperson Lt. Colonel Peter Lerner confirmed that three targets had been struck in the south of the Gaza Strip, in response to over 20 rockets fired on Israel from Gaza on Friday.

View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4538183,00.html