17 Kassam rockets strike several western Negev towns; IDF activity continues.
By JPOST STAFF, APkassam ashkelon 298.88(photo credit: Channel 2)
Two Kassam rockets fell on Sderot on Friday afternoon. One of the Kassams fell in the city's central market, wounding seven. Three people were hit by shrapnel from the rocket, while four were in shock. Three of the wounded were evacuated to Barzilai Hospital.
The second rocket landed in an empty soccer field.
During the day numerous Kassams were launched into the western Negev, falling near several kibbutzim, including Sa'ad, Nahal Oz, Gevim and the southern development town of Netivot. Army Radio reported that the total number of Kassam rockets that hit Israel on Friday was 17.
The Israeli air force fired missiles Friday night at a target in northern Gaza, Palestinian security officials reported.
The IDF spokesman's office said, commenting on the report, that the IDF was preventing the firing of Kassam rockets into Israel by artillery fire at open areas identified as Kassam launch sites in the northern Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, three IAF strikes were performed against armed Palestinian cells throughout the Gaza Strip. Two Palestinians were killed in the latest attack that took place on Friday evening.
Palestinians reported of dozens of people killed.
Earlier, An IAF helicopter hit two gunmen in Al-Atatra in northern Gaza on Friday afternoon, killing both. The strike came after the two had fired a missile at IDF forces.
In the Askar refugee camp near Nablus, IDF forces killed Tamr Kandil, a senior operative in the military wing of Fatah. Kandil, 22, of the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, was involved in several attempts to send suicide bombers into Israel, as well as several shooting attacks in the area.
IDF sources reported that a Paratrooper battalion surrounded the house where Kandil was hiding. According to the report, shots were fired from the house, and IDF soldiers opened fire in response, killing Kandil. There were no IDF casualties in the exchange of fire.
On Friday morning, an armed Palestinian opened fire on an IDF force operating in northern Gaza. The Palestinian was killed in the ensuing exchange of fire.
Earlier, an anti-tank missile was fired at IDF forces in the Atatra neighborhood of the northern Gaza Strip on Friday morning. The missile missed and hit a Palestinian house nearby. No IDF injuries were reported.
Also Friday, the IAF struck a terror cell near Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza. Palestinian sources reported that one terror operative was killed and three others wounded in the strike.
The army confirmed that the aircraft fired at the four armed Palestinians near al-Atatra, which had been the scene of exchanges of fire on Thursday.
The attack follows Thursday's intense clashes between the IDF and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which claimed the lives of an IDF staff sergeant and at least 20 Palestinians.
Palestinians responded to the new offensive with a general call to arms. Hamas Interior Minister Said Siam urged the PA security forces to join the fight against Israel, Army Radio reported.
Army Radio also reported that a Kassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip caused unspecified damage after it landed in the gas station at Kibbutz Gevim near Sderot. No one was wounded in the attack.
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