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Comments:  47
Last update - 12:45 03/02/2009
Militants fire Grad into Ashkelon for first time since Gaza op
By Yanir Yagana, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: Hamas, Israel News 

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alestinian militants fired a Grad into Ashkelon on Tuesday, the first such rocket to be fired into the city from Gaza since a cease-fire ended Israel's 22-day offensive in the coastal territory last month.

Three people were treated for shock after the attack, which also caused damage to property.

The rocket strike came after a Hamas delegation met with senior Egyptian officials in Cairo on Monday in an effort to reach an agreement on a truce with Israel.

Ashkelon Mayor Benny Vaknin told Israel Radio that a Grad rocket "struck the heart of a residential neighbourhood".

"Luckily, it landed in an open area," he said.

Ashkelon was hit by nearly 100 rockets during the Gaza fighting. Following Tuesday's rocket attack, a local parents union called for classes to be called off. But city hall announced that school would be open as usual.

The city is 12 km from coastal Gaza, beyond the reach of the improvised rockets often fired by the Palestinians. Factory-produced Grads, which are smuggled into Gaza through tunnels or by sea from neighboring Egypt, have a longer reach.

"To the best of my knowledge, when it's a Grad rocket, it's from Hamas," Vaknin said.

On Monday evening, a Qassam rocket struck an open area in Sha'ar Hanegev, causing neither casualties nor damage. Three mortar shells also hit the Eshkol region earlier Monday, also causing no injuries or damage.

In response to the mortar attack, the Israel Air Force bombed a car in the southern Gaza Strip. Palestinian medical workers reported that one person had been killed in the bombing, and three others were wounded.

The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted gunmen who had fired the mortars.

Witnesses said the air-strike hit the men while they were traveling in a car in the town. Their identities were not immediately known.

On Sunday Israel suffered the heaviest barrage of rocket and mortar attacks since the cease-fire took effect.

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      1.   aNOTHER SAVAGE INVASION WILL NEVER BRING CALM OR PEACE 08:42  |  sami h 03/02/09
      2.   war 08:49  |  mazen 03/02/09
      3.   terrorists, not "militants" 08:50  |  dave s. 03/02/09
      4.   Dont apply the same equation as Bush 09:42  |  Mofaz 03/02/09
      5.   Rockets 09:43  |  Robin 03/02/09
      6.   #terrorists, not "militants" 10:17  |  Medo 03/02/09
      7.   #3 dave`s `terrorists` kill innocent civilians, yes 10:20  |  soruklu 03/02/09
      8.   To #1 10:23  |  Liat 03/02/09
      9.   To Sami h #1 10:30  |  Rafi 03/02/09
      10.   Dave S (#3) & Terrorists vs. Militants 10:31  |  Gil 03/02/09
      11.   Hamas : Israel won`t retaliate , Israel busy with elections . 10:39  |  Joseph.E 03/02/09
      12.   Noted: "Militants" And Not Hamas Blamed For The Rockets 10:41  |  chet 03/02/09
      13.   who fired the rockets? 10:52  |  Judy 03/02/09
      14.   . 10:56  |  daniel 03/02/09
      15.   Not only are they not deterred, they seek another round 10:56  |  Natallie Durson 03/02/09
      16.   SAMI H #1, YOU ARE RIGHT, HAMAS NEVER CEASED TO RESIST TO... 10:59  |  MOSHEH 03/02/09
      17.   sami h # 1 That Would Not Be The Purpose Of Another Invasion 11:36  |  Jeff Northridge 03/02/09
      18.   xc 11:47  |  chigaco 03/02/09
      19.   15 Durson 12:07  |  DMW 03/02/09
      20.   Such lovely people, the Israelis. 12:13  |  Christopher 03/02/09
      21.   To Judy #13: Who fired the rockets 12:14  |  Bob 03/02/09
      22.   To Jeff Northridge:What in the world are Gazans resisting now? 12:22  |  Bob 03/02/09
      23.   to #17 12:28  |  disinformator 03/02/09
      24.   Hamas ROCKETS ???? 12:29  |  ALan 03/02/09
      25.   Hamas ROCKETS ???? 12:30  |  ALan 03/02/09
      26.   soruklu # 7 Then Unconfuse Yourself 12:36  |  Jeff Northridge 03/02/09
      27.   A Play (2nd try) 12:59  |  Amateur historian 03/02/09
      28.   urgent 13:00  |  chicago 03/02/09
      29.   israel sends aid. Gaza sends rockets. Sounds fair to us 13:24  |  The U.N. 03/02/09
      30.   # 19 - DMW 13:35  |  Natallie Durson 03/02/09
      31.   To Amateur (indeed) historian #21 14:06  |  Bob 03/02/09
      32.   for 15 Natalie Durson 14:28  |  chasaboy 03/02/09
      33.   Sami H (#1) Correction In spite of a Cease Fire Hamas Attacks 19:16  |  Gil 03/02/09
      34.   sami in gaza,your ONLY hope is with abbas if that doesn`t suit 19:23  |  terrornator 03/02/09
      35.   chet,how the hell do you tell who fired the rockets? 19:28  |  terrornator 03/02/09
      36.   are you people to stupid to see what is actually going on? 19:31  |  terrornator 03/02/09
      37.   natallie #15 good i hope they get what they want and if it`s 19:35  |  terrornator 03/02/09
      38.   Sami H (#1) Correction In spite of a Cease Fire Hamas Attacks 19:59  |  Gil 03/02/09
      39.   soruklu from Turkey 2nd try 20:10  |  David Israel 03/02/09
      40.   Re # 2 Israelies didn`t loose their mind 21:53  |  Ines 03/02/09
      41.   Re#6 Revenge against the people that killes their people 22:02  |  Ines 03/02/09
      42.   Re# 7 There is no confusion here... 22:07  |  Ines 03/02/09
      43.   They`re begging for a "disproportionate response" 23:52  |  Simha 03/02/09
      44.   #17 Jeff Northridge 23:58  |  Jim 03/02/09
      45.   JB, also known as Natallie Durson 00:04  |  TonyL 04/02/09
      46.   #15 Natalie Durson 00:06  |  Jim 04/02/09
      47.   To end the hostilities all palistinians must do 04:16  |  Aish 08/02/09
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