Mortar Attacks in Southern Israel

Palestinians shell western Negev with Grads, mortar attacks

Barrage of fire from Gaza hits southern Israel; rocket lands near building where wedding is taking place in Netivot; 4 treated for shock, vehicle damaged; Color Red rocket alert system fails to go off.

The relative calm in the South was shattered on Monday night when Palestinians in Gaza fired a barrage of powerful Grad rockets and mortar shells at the western Negev.

One Grad-type rocket fired from Gaza smashed into the town of Ofakim and a second rocket slammed into Netivot, not far from a building where a wedding celebration was taking place.

Four people were treated for shock from the attack on Netivot and a vehicle was damaged.

Grad rockets land in western Negev, four treated for shock

Grad rockets landed near the cities of Netivot and Ofakim in the western Negev on Monday, causing damage to a car and leading to four people being treated for shock.

The attacks came a few minutes apart late Monday. One rocket hit Netivot, which is 9 miles east of Gaza, and the second exploded in Ofakim, 15 miles from Gaza.

And how about this little detail:

A Qassam rocket that struck near a kindergarten in Ashkelon lightly wounded a teenage girl in a nearby building.

This reminds us of two points worth considering:

1. These mortars are intended to inflict bloodshed and terror.
2. The people affected include innocent children and teenagers.

Lets repeat that last sentence and let it sink in for a while. Remember - this is what Israel is facing:

A Qassam rocket that struck near a kindergarten in Ashkelon lightly wounded a teenage girl in a nearby building.

Thats right, It struck near a kindergarten. And it could have just as easily hit these children. A teenage girl was wounded.

More details emerge from this article:

Grad rockets hit near Netivot, Ofakim

"It was terrifying," an Ofakim resident said. "We heard a boom – like a nuclear bomb. We thought it was thunder; there was smoke and explosions. We're dying of fear that another wave of Grads and Qassams will begin. We have no shelters or secure rooms, and the rocket fell about 10 meters (33 feet) from the houses."

One of the people who attended a wedding in a small hall near the rocket's landing site in the Netivot area said, "There was music, then we suddenly hear a loud blast. Everyone - little children and men – ran for cover. People fell over one another. It's a miracle no one was hurt."

Another person who attended the wedding said, "Luckily, the rocket landed after the chuppah, while everyone was already eating at the tables. If it had landed a few meters closer, this could have been a mass casualty event."

Thats just a small reminder that these are real people involved. People who have lives just as we do. People who have families, and struggle to make ends meet on a daily basis - just as we all do. Only they have an imminent fear of being hit with an incoming missile, or worse, their children could be hit while at school. Or just going about daily business.

And the world yawns. After all, its just some Jews in Israel - who cares?