Kibbutz building damaged as 2 mortar shells land in Negev

No injuries reported; Barak praises Iron Dome interception of 3 rockets headed for Ashkelon, calls it an "extraordinary achievement" for IDF; 24 mortars fired in total since dawn.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
gaza rocket 311 (photo credit: Eshkol Regional Council)
gaza rocket 311
(photo credit: Eshkol Regional Council)
In a day when 22 mortars had already landed in the South, Palestinians launched two mortar shells on Friday evening from Gaza which landed in the grounds of a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. No one was injured, but damage was caused to one of the buildings on the kibbutz.
Also on Friday evening, Defense Minister Ehud Barak praised the successful interception by the Iron Dome missile defense system of three Kassam rockets fired towards Ashkelon. Barak said that it was "an extraordinary achievement for the IDF." RELATED:Abbas condemns Israeli 'aggression' on Gaza StripPeres condemns school bus attack at UNSC envoy meetingIron Dome works in combat, intercepts Katyusha rocket
He said that the system will continue to be used but to keep in mind that complete solution is still far from being reached. Police said that the Iron Dome counter-rocket defense system intercepted three of four rockets launched towards Ashkelon and the fourth rocket exploded in the industrial area in the south of the city. Less than hour later, three mortar shells landed in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. Earlier in the afternoon, five mortar shells landed landed south of Ashkelon and three in the Eshkol Regional Council. All landed in open areas, causing no casualties or damage.
Palestinian sources reported that IDF strikes in Gaza earlier on Friday afternoon left one woman, her daughter, and a third man dead in a village near Khan Younis. Two Hamas members were also reportedly killed during the strikes.
Since Thursday night, ten Palestinians were killed in various IDF attacks on terror cells throughout Gaza. The IDF said that in response to rocket fire from deep inside a residential area in southern Gaza, IAF air craft struck two terror cells. According to to the Palestinian media source, an Israeli aircraft struck a group of civilians.
The explosions occurred in the afternoon hours, and schools held students from returning to their homes until the attacks passed.  The explosions caused no casualties.Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that Thursday's school bus attack "crossed the line," and adding that "the IDF acted immediately last night and would continue to act with determination."
Speaking from a meeting with the Czech president, Netanyahu commented that "whoever tries to hurt and murder children: the blood is on his hands."