Four wounded as Kassam hits Sderot

Even as IDF forces were massing in large numbers on Gaza's border for a possible ground incursion to rescue kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, three Kassam rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel Monday evening. Two landed in open areas in the western Negev, but the third struck a power pole in Sderot. As a result of the hit, four people were lightly injured from shrapnel, and were taken to Ashkelon's Barzilai Hospital. Sderot Spokesman Yossi Cohen said that in the course of the evening, a total of 11 people had been treated for shock. At least one person also suffered from cardiological distress as a result of the latest Kassam barrage. The rocket caused damage to the electrical lines causing a power outage throughout the city, according to the report. Sderot municipality authorities said they were working to restore power to the Kassam-struck city in Israel's south. Meanwhile, a spontaneous protest rally gathered outside the home of Sderot resident, Defense Minister Amir Peretz. The rocket fire comes as Islamic Jihad claimed to have developed a new longer-range rocket to be used against Israeli targets, Channel 1 reported. The groups said the new "Quds 4" projectile has a range of 20 kilometers, three times longer then the crude Kassam rockets. On Sunday, Fatah announced that they had biological and chemical weapons capabilities. They said that they would not hesitate to use unconventional warheads on missiles.