Kassam hits house in Eshkol region

No casualties in attack; Barak holds up humanitarian supplies intended for Gaza; 3 rockets hit w. Negev.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Kassam headless woman 224.88 (photo credit: Channel 10 [file])
Kassam headless woman 224.88
(photo credit: Channel 10 [file])
Gaza terrorists continued their attacks on southern Israel Thursday evening, firing a Kassam rocket that hit a house in the Eshkol region. The house was damaged in the attack, but no one was wounded. Earlier Thursday, two rockets landed in open areas in the western Negev. The exact impact sites of the other two rockets could not initially be ascertained due to heavy fog in the area, however there were no reports of wounded or further damage. Following the attack, Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed that humanitarian aid not be allowed into the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, Barak decided to allow some 60 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies to pass into Gaza, even though the crossings were still officially closed due to continued Kassam attacks. Barak's decision came following international pressure on the security establishment to allow the aid through. Palestinian fuel official Mahmoud Khazundar said that shipments of cooking gas were also renewed on Wednesday morning and that 70 tons were expected to enter the Strip. Also Wednesday, several high-ranking defense officials said that Israel should resume military operations against Hamas in Gaza when the cease-fire expires in three weeks, in order to increase pressure on the terrorist group that could lead to a renewal of talks for the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Schalit. On December 19, the cease-fire that went into effect at 6 a.m. on June 19 will officially end. Israeli assessments vary as to whether Hamas will want to extend the truce or allow it to collapse and return to full-scale terror operations against Israel. "It is difficult to tell what they will do," one senior defense official told The Jerusalem Post Wednesday. "What is certain is that December 19 is turning into a very important date." Yaakov Katz and Elie Leshem contributed to this report.