Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., February 29, 2008 Adar1 23, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:20 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Father of four killed at Sapir College in the Negev as Hamas launches Qassam barrage By Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies , By Ofra Edelman and Yuval Azoulay Around 50 Palestinian rockets hit the western Negev yesterday, with one of them slamming into Sapir College near Sderot and killing a 47-year-old student. Another exploded on the helipad of Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, while the hospital was treating casualties from Sderot. The deceased, Roni Yihye from the town of Btecha in the western Negev, was inside his car in Sapir's parking lot. He died of shrapnel wounds to the chest. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. Advertisement Yihye is survived by his wife, Esther, and four children: Niv, who is currently serving in the Israel Defense Forces, Lital, a 17-year-old high school pupil, her 14-year-old sister Coral and 8-year-old brother Idan. The head of the Merchavim Regional Council, Avner Mory, was Yihye's distant relative. He said Roni Yihye is survived by 10 brothers. He recalled that five years ago, the family struggled to fund a badly-needed kidney transplant for Yihye. Before the transplant, Mory said, Yihye worked for a large construction company as the operator of a cement-mixer. Yihye began studying logistics at Sapir after completing a long process of rehabilitation. His funeral is scheduled to take place today at 3 P.M. at the Btecha cemetery. Yihye was the first Israeli killed by a rocket since May, when two died in separate attacks. "We call on the government to do everything it possibly can to stop this carnage," Mory said. "The people of Sderot and the towns around the Gaza Strip must not be made to live their lives like this, not knowing whether they will be next." Ashkelon received two Katyusha rockets in addition to the one that hit the hospital. One of the Katyushas hit the town's southern industrial zone, and another exploded in the middle of a residential area inside the neighborhood of Shimshon. No one was injured in Ashkelon. Barzilai's director, Dr. Shimon Sherf, said hospital teams were busy finding better protected areas inside the hospital for the premature-baby department. For the time being, Ashkelon's city council decided against implementing the Color Red rocket-launch detection system. In a meeting with police representatives, the Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command, Magen David Emergency Services and the fire brigade, the council was informed that the system could be switched on within six hours. So far, Mayor Roni Mahatzri has refrained from employing the system, reportedly fearing widespread panic. Ashkelon officials said the system would produce a large number of false alarms, as every rocket fired at Sderot - which receives much more fire and is closer to the Strip - would set it off. Nati Messing, a third-year student at Sapir College, said the campus had turned into a firing range. "We heard the 'Color Red' sirens several times during the day and went into the protected space, and there was one serious boom. But it turns out that a Qassam struck in the parking lot some 50 meters from the building we were in." Messing added that students from the first-aid unit rushed to the scene of the strike and administered first aid to the victim, "but then we heard that it was too late." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Power to the people Egypt plans to provide all of Gaza's electricity, to wean dependency on Israel. Calculated escalation Hamas has been trying for some time to create a balance of deterrence with Israel.

Today Online IDF kills 20, including 5 children, in Gaza, West Bank Responses: 254 Barak: Large-scale Gaza operation is 'real and tangible' Responses: 117 Editorial: Decision on Gaza operation should be daring and level-headed Responses: 65 Abbas: I oppose armed struggle, but won't rule it out for future Responses: 86 Pro-Israel evangelical leader Hagee endorses McCain Responses: 52 More Headlines 23:29 IDF kills 20 Palestinians in Gaza, W. Bank, including 5 children 23:36 Defense Min. orders rocket alert sirens be activated in Ashkelon 20:43 Egypt plans to provide all of Gaza's electricity 01:28 Hundreds mourn student killed in Wednesday's Sderot rocket attack 22:58 Shin Bet arrests female terror suspect, 17, from East J'lem 22:46 German Jewish leader urges Merkel to back Israel's stance on Iran 01:16 Sapir College licks its wounds after student killed by rocket 01:38 U.S. court denies bail for ex-Jerusalem Post publisher Conrad Black 01:58 Impatient with Syria, U.S. sends warship off Lebanon coast 22:05 U.K. officials: Prince Harry serving on front line in Afghanistan 02:00 Iran tells UN council sanctions over nuclear program aren't legal Previous Editions Select Day 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb 24 feb 22 feb 21 feb 20 feb 19 feb 18 feb 17 feb 15 feb

Special Offers Advertisement Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Long-term Israel programs MASA is your gateway. More programs. More grants. NEW! Dan Boutique Jerusalem Hotel Hip Dan Hotel in Jerusalem. Attractive Introductory Rates 7589 rockets fired so far HELP US TO HELP THEM Marina Royale Herzelia Pituach Your Luxurious Suite While Staying in Israel Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Dead Sea Salt Beauty and skin care from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 10% off! Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved