Woman Wounded as Grad Hits Ashdod

by Herb Keinon
Jerusalem Post
January 18, 2009

http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/690/woman-wounded-as-grad-hits-ashdod

Gaza terrorists continued to attack southern Israeli civilian areas on Sunday afternoon, despite the fact that the Israeli unilateral cease-fire had already been in effect since early that morning.

In the latest attack, a women sustained light shrapnel wounds in her hand when a Grad rocket hit the yard of an Ashdod house.

Moments earlier, a woman was treated for shock and a building was damaged after two Grad-rockets struck the Ashkelon area, one hitting the city and the other landing on its outskirts.

In total, some 13 rockets and four mortar shells were fired at southern Israel since the truce took effect at 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

The IAF struck back, hitting a terror cell and a launching pad.

Earlier Sunday, Hamas operatives in the Beit Lahiya area shot at IDF soldiers, who returned fire. An IAF helicopter then shot the gunmen, the IDF reported. Mortar shells were also fired at the troops.

There was an understanding in the IDF that it would take time for Hamas to make a decision as well as to transmit orders to all of its different operatives on the ground.

The army said that it had been aware of the possibility that there would be some isolated
clashes in Gaza throughout the next day or two.

On Saturday, Olmert declared Operation Cast Lead a victory and threw the ball into Hamas's court, declaring the unilateral cease-fire that suspends the three-week operation, the future of which depends on whether Hamas continues to fire on Israel.

According to what was decided at a three-hour security cabinet meeting Saturday night, Israel will stop its offensive, but will keep the IDF forces in place, see how Hamas responds and whether an effective mechanism will be set up on the border to stop arms smuggling.

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