8 suffer shock as Kassams hit Sderot

IDF leaves central, n. Gaza; Still operating in south to stop Shalit's transfer.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS, JPOST.COM STAFF
Eight people were suffering from shock and several buildings were damaged after five Kassam rockets landed in the Sderot area on Friday morning. Two rockets landed in a residential area, a third landed in an industrial zone, while two landed in open territory outside the city. Meanwhile, IDF forces, which were operating in the central and northern Gaza Strip, left the areas on Friday morning after neutralizing over 30 Palestinian terrorists in the last three days. The IDF was concentrating its activities in southern Gaza, where it was trying to prevent Palestinian operatives from smuggling captured soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit out of the region. Earlier, a Palestinian was killed when an IDF tank shell hit his truck, hospital officials said, and the IAF struck targets in several parts of Gaza. Palestinians said the truck took a wrong turn and approached Israeli forces in central Gaza. A tank fired a shell, hitting the vehicle. The driver escaped, but a passenger was wounded and later died. The IDF said the truck drove within 30 meters of an IDF position and ignored orders to stop. Then a tank fired a shell at the truck, hitting it. Overnight Thursday, the IAF struck an office in the Gaza Strip that was used by a Hamas official. Palestinian sources reported that one person was wounded in the attack. Earlier Thursday night, Palestinians threw a bomb at an IDF patrol near Jenin. None of the soldiers were wounded, but the vehicle was damaged. On Thursday, the United States vetoed an Arab-backed UN Security Council resolution that would have demanded that Israel halt its offensive in the Gaza Strip and urged Palestinian operatives to free Shalit and stop firing rockets at Israel. The United States was alone in voting against the resolution, sponsored by Qatar on behalf of other Arab nations. Ten of the 15 Security Council nations voted in favor, while Britain, Denmark, Peru and Slovakia abstained.