Sirens blare in Jerusalem, rockets land in Hebron and Bethlehem
Sirens heard as far south as Dead Sea area and in West Bank; earlier, two rockets intercepted over Shfela area in central Israel after sirens blare in region.
By DANIEL K. EISENBUD, BEN HARTMAN, JPOST.COM STAFFAn iron dome launches rockets to intercept incoming rockets from Gaza on Tuesday.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Code Red rocket sirens blared throughout Jerusalem, Ma'ale Adumim, Hebron and other surrounding areas on Saturday evening.Rockets landed in Hebron and Bethlehem, the IDF Spokeperson said. Four rockets landed in total in the attack- three in Palestinian areas and one near a Jewish West Bank settlement. The sirens on Saturday evening was the third time since Operation Protective Edge began five days ago, that they were heard in the capital.At approximately 7 p.m. the city-wide siren could be heard, as Jerusalemites rushed to find shelter.“We are cautioning city residents to continue to heed the sirens and take cover within 90 seconds,” Police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said. On Thursday evening at least six rockets landed near the city.Earlier in the evening, the Iron Dome intercepted two rockets over central Israel in the Shfela area. Prior to the interceptions, rocket sirens sounded in Ashdod, Lod, Rishon Lezion and other areas in the area. Following the rocket attack in central Israel at around 6:00 a.m., Magen David Adom EMS was treating one person in Rishon Lezion who fell down the stairs while he was running to a protected area during a rocket alert siren. MDA was treating another person in Ness Ziona who suffered shock.Earlier on Saturday, before the attacks on the Jerusalem area and the Shfela, two Israelis were injured just moments after a Palestinian rocket slammed into a home in the Gaza frontier town of Netivot.The injuries, which are not considered serious, occurred as they were running toward bombproof shelters.
The IDF retaliated by killing the Palestinians who launched the rockets toward Netivot.Palestinians in the Gaza Strip resumed rocket fire at Israel on Saturday, the fifth day of Operation Protective Edge.After a relatively quiet overnight, Israelis in the western Negev, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and the Shfela region awoke Saturday to the sounds of sirens. Most of the 50 or so rockets fell in uninhabited areas, while media reports indicate at least one rocket was intercepted by Iron Dome.The Iron Dome anti-rocket system intercepted a rocket over Rehovot, while others fell in open areas near the city. There were no reports of damage or injuries.The renewed barrage comes one day after two Israelis were lightly injured when a Palestinian rocket struck a home in Beersheba. One of the injured, an 80-year-old woman, was rushed to Soroka Medical Center.An hour earlier, the Iron Dome battery intercepted two rockets over Tel Aviv and at least two rockets over Herzliya on Friday evening just seconds after sirens were heard across the region.Earlier in the day, the anti-missile system intercepted dozens of Palestinian rockets fired at suburban Tel Aviv, the Shfela region, Beersheba, and the western Negev, which was the hardest hit.Since hostilities were renewed, Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives have launched nearly 700 rockets at Israeli towns.