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IDF soldiers carrying a wounded colleague after a Qassam rocket struck an army base in the northern Negev early Tuesday. (AP)
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Last update - 23:46 11/09/2007
IDF officers say Zikkim training base is adequately fortified
By Mijal Grinberg and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies

Israel Defense Forces officers said Tuesday evening that the level of fortification at the Zikkim basic training base is adequate in comparison to that of other places surrounding the Gaza Strip.

Earlier Tuesday, dozens of worried relatives of soldiers from throughout the country came to the Zikkim base, demanding that the army take action to protect soldiers from the threat of further rocket fire from the nearby Gaza Strip.

An early morning Qassam rocket strike on the base left 69 soldiers wounded Tuesday, one of them critically. Four others were seriously hurt, and another 10 were moderately wounded. The remainder were lightly hurt, many of them suffering mainly from shock.

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An IDF spokesperson announced that two additional fortified cement structures were placed in the base, and that the fortification of the base will be accelerated.

Parents beseeched officers at Zikkim to house soldiers in protected buildings on the base, rather than in vulnerable tents.

Others demanded that the army immediately transfer the soldiers, who are non-combat troops undergoing basic training in Zikkim, to bases beyond range of Palestinian rockets and far from the border with the Gaza Strip.

"For heaven's sake, you brought them to Gaza and they're sitting ducks with no place to hide," said Benny Cohen of Ashdod, whose son Itzik serves on the base. "My boy hides under his bed when there's a Color Red [warning of imminent rocket attack], or else they're ordered into the latrine or the dining hall."

The rocket strike was carried out by the radical Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees.

Hamas on Tuesday hailed the rocket attack as a "victory from God." Hours after the pre-dawn salvo, Israel Air Force aircraft struck open areas of northern Gaza, Army Radio reported. Palestinian sources said that at least four Gazans were hurt in the air strike, two of them hospitalized.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said after the strike that "We consider this a victory from God for the resistance. We consider the resistance as the legitimate right of the Palestinians to defend themselves and restore their rights."

A second Qassam struck an area of the western Negev later in the morning, causing damage but no injuries.

Late Tuesday evening, Palestinian militants fired two more Qassam rockets at the western Negev. A short while later, Palestinian witnesses said the IDF targeted a Qassam rocket launcher in the northern Gaza Strip. No one was injured, the witnesses said.

While the rocket hit an empty tent used only in the daytime for administrative purposes, many soldiers were hit by shrapnel while sleeping in adjacent tents. The base is located about one kilometer inside Israeli territory. A warning alarm did sound moments before the rocket hit the tent, however many of the soldiers were sleeping and did not reach a bomb shelter in time. In the wake of the attack, roughly 25 Magen David Adom ambulances rushed to the base in the northern Negev.

The injury toll was the highest ever sustained in a single Palestinian rocket attack.

The strike came amid growing calls for a more aggressive Israeli response to the near-daily rocket barrages out of Gaza. While placing the blame for the attack on Hamas' shoulders, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni nonetheless said Tuesday that Israel also has non-military means with which to respond.
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  1.   I Don`t Envy Gaza Tomorrow 02:55  |  Jane 11/09/07
  2.   At least 25 IDF soldiers hurt... 02:59  |  Jim 11/09/07
  3.   Qassams on IDF base. 03:02  |  sandra chitayat 11/09/07
  4.   Fireworks 03:04  |  jjvanka 11/09/07
  5.   WHAT ISRAEL SHOULD DO? and WHAT IS CAN DO 03:04  |  ALL 4 PEACE 11/09/07
  6.   that`s it? 03:06  |  Nechama 11/09/07
  7.   Enjoy the coming days gazans 03:08  |  Johnny 11/09/07
  8.   I hope it`s not as serious as it sounds.. 03:08  |  Tom 11/09/07
  9.   Break out the target list 03:09  |  Jeffrey 11/09/07
  10.   Dont worry, nothing will happen 03:09  |  Herbert Kaine 11/09/07
  11.   Dont worry, nothing will happen 03:09  |  Herbert Kaine 11/09/07
  12.   Dont worry, nothing will happen 03:09  |  Herbert Kaine 11/09/07
  13.   25 wounded 03:09  |  Jeff Treesh 11/09/07
  14.   Past time to retaliate 03:09  |  Sherri 11/09/07
  15.   Good Will 03:12  |  Mahmood 11/09/07
  16.   Olmert will respond by releasing prisoners for Ramadan 03:14  |  Ben 11/09/07
  17.   WHAT ISRAEL SHOULD DO? and WHAT IS CAN DO #2 03:15  |  ALL 4 PEACE 11/09/07
  18.   #6 is right. . . 03:16  |  anon 11/09/07
  19.   #5 03:17  |  q 11/09/07
  20.   A Proper Response 03:17  |  Bernie 11/09/07
  21.   Patience, My Pretties 03:17  |  dyinglikeflies 11/09/07
  22.   Mass Prisoner Releases Clearly the Solution 03:20  |  David P 11/09/07
  23.   Now is the time 03:20  |  Nechama 11/09/07
  24.   This is a Hamas trap 03:21  |  Pablo B 11/09/07
  25.   #17 03:27  |  q 11/09/07
  26.   HAMAS 03:27  |  Nashat 11/09/07
  27.   Nice to hear 03:27  |  Omran 11/09/07
  28.   IDF response 03:29  |  vik 11/09/07
  29.   Is Israel BLOWING-UP the NUMBERS to justify a Harsh "Operation"? 03:29  |  EYES2C-Suspects 11/09/07
  30.   nechama 6 03:30  |  realism 11/09/07
  31.   So again IDF is caught with its pants down...regretable... 03:30  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 11/09/07
  32.   The Price of OCCUPATION & Collective Punishment 03:32  |  PAUL 11/09/07
  33.   TAKE GAZA 03:34  |  Macabee 11/09/07
  34.   proper response 03:35  |  sirius 11/09/07
  35.   qassam strike 03:36  |  Shmuelshachor 11/09/07
  36.   #16 q from ithaca - not every pal is firing rockets 03:37  |  Pablo b 11/09/07
  37.   When you kill kids....what do you expect 03:38  |  Tim 11/09/07
  38.   #28 03:38  |  q 11/09/07
  39.   #24 is a racist statement 03:39  |  PAUL 11/09/07
  40.   they attack 03:40  |  uri 11/09/07
  41.   Herbert Kaine bring your own tent next time 03:41  |  Tamir Palestine 11/09/07
  42.   Many Qassam missed - this one hit - they say in the IDF "BINGO" 03:41  |  Moses Proposes 11/09/07
  43.   random question.. 03:42  |  .. 11/09/07
  44.   Electricity 03:42  |  B.P 11/09/07
  45.   Stupid Omran, maybe the IDF soldiers are afraid of dark 03:43  |  Tamir Palestine 11/09/07
  46.   Israel government 03:44  |  Mark Bernadiner 11/09/07
  47.   It`s time to take out the trash 03:45  |  Conroy 11/09/07
  48.   Israel is looking for a chance ...why not inflate the # 03:47  |  Joe Hadeed 11/09/07
  49.   BERNIE They were Near NOT hiding amongst Kibbutz Zikim 03:48  |  PETER S .M. 11/09/07
  50.   Israel gets lots of AIPAC-Type "Advice"-Bomb this,bomb that,cut w 03:49  |  WATER & ELECTRICITY 11/09/07
  51.   So Hamas can target the IDF if they chose but prefer collective 03:52  |  PETER S .M. 11/09/07
  52.   This Is War 03:52  |  Darwish 11/09/07
  53.   This smacks of syrian/iranian involvement 03:53  |  Matt 11/09/07
  54.   Hamas trying to bring down the peace talks 03:55  |  Lynn 11/09/07
  55.   will PM Olmert react or not 03:57  |  Jonathan 11/09/07
  56.   Common Sense 03:57  |  Ron 11/09/07
  57.   Where are Durson, Clickfool, Hannah and co.? 03:59  |  Fortuna Benmayor 11/09/07
  58.   Gazans invite IDF back into Gaza 03:59  |  Gina 11/09/07
  59.   It`s Time To Bury Hamas - Once And For All 04:00  |  Bill Foonman 11/09/07
  60.   Occupation 04:00  |  mahmood 11/09/07
  61.   To Bernie # 19 04:02  |  Fortuna Benmayor 11/09/07
  62.   Israel Never Learns 04:05  |  Tod Zuckerman 11/09/07
  63.   IDF soldiers hurt in Qassam strike 04:05  |  sam 11/09/07
  64.   To #28 04:06  |  Darwish 11/09/07
  65.   I`d have thought left-wing Ha`aretz would be cheering... 04:07  |  Nannette 11/09/07
  66.   Calm down zionists,your soldiers are supposed to be able to 04:08  |  lakshmi 11/09/07
  67.   #38 Where Are The Loonies? 04:08  |  Bill Foonman 11/09/07
  68.   The leadership 04:08  |  Doron 11/09/07
  69.   IDF response: "Dear Hamas, u should`ve waited until we all ran" 04:09  |  A SOLDIER 11/09/07
  70.   38 Fortuna 04:10  |  Conroy 11/09/07
  71.   Ahhh, the folly of man 04:11  |  El Haq 11/09/07
  72.   NAJD, not Sderot 04:12  |  Pete 11/09/07
  73.   Israel must prepare to declare full-scale war against Gaza 04:13  |  GI Joe 11/09/07
  74.   Peter SM 04:17  |  Bernie 11/09/07
  75.   The Proper Response 04:20  |  Lolek 11/09/07
  76.   Lynn, It is not Hamas ... 04:22  |  Bernie 11/09/07
  77.   IDF WILL respond... the time and place IT wants to 04:25  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 11/09/07
  78.   BREAKING NEWS UPDATES -11-25-36- NOW 60 WOUNDED 04:26  |  BEWARE-IDES OF 9/11 11/09/07
  79.   Reaction 04:26  |  Joseph 11/09/07
  80.   Rocket Attacks 04:27  |  Brod 11/09/07
  81.