How many rockets this Shabbes? The AFP claims it was seven:
JERUSALEM (AFP) – Palestinian militants in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip fired seven rockets at Israel on Saturday, according to the Israeli military, further straining a fragile month-old ceasefire.
No one was killed or wounded in the attacks, with two of the rockets striking near the Israeli town of Ashkelon, around 21 kilometres (13 miles) from the impoverished territory.
One rocket damaged a school, which was empty for Shabbat, the Jewish rest day, the military said.
Palestinian militants have fired more than 100 rockets and mortar rounds at Israel since the fragile January 18 truce that ended Israel's massive military offensive on Gaza, which killed more than 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.
Israel has in turn carried out several air raids targeting alleged militants, weapons caches and smuggling tunnels beneath the Gaza-Egypt border....
Arutz Sheva has a different count (and slant):
(IsraelNN.com) A Sabbath morning "improved" Grad rocket attack struck an Ashkelon school on the Sabbath, returning Israel to the days before the Cast Lead operation that was carried out to end the terrorist strikes. The rocket caused extensive damage and forced the hospitalization of several people in the area for trauma.
The missile was more powerful than previous models, and the one that hit the school broke through the fortifications designed to protect students and teachers from an attack. The school was closed because of the Sabbath, preventing a tragedy, and officials canceled classes at the school for Sunday.
First graders in Ashkelon
A second rocket exploded in an open field at the edge of the city. Three other attacks took place on the Sabbath. A Kassam rocket struck the Eshkol region on Saturday morning, and two Kassam rockets hit Sderot Friday night. Another Kassam hit the southern Negev Saturday night. None of the explosions caused damage or injuries.
The Olmert administration, with the encouragement of Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, ended the three-week-long Operation Cast Lead in mid-January with the declaration that the rocket attacks from Gaza had been reduced to near zero. Livni also reached a “Memo of Understanding” with the United States by which advanced technology and international monitors were to be stationed at the Egyptian border to prevent terrorists from smuggling arms into Gaza.
Channel 2 television reported Thursday night that long-range rockets are being brought into Gaza through tunnels along the border and that Israeli bombing of several tunnels, in retaliation for rocket attacks, is having little effect.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit has claimed that a virtual ceasefire exists in Gaza while his government continues to mediate talks between Israel and Hamas for a longer-term ceasefire.
In Cairo, Egypt reported rapid progress in talks between the rival Fatah and Hamas factions for a new unity government, which would force Israel and Western nations to accept the Palestinian Authority led by chairman Mahmoud Abbas despite its inclusion of Hamas, or boycott it because of Hamas’s participation.
Posted by: RONNIE | Sunday, 01 March 2009 at 08:27 AM