08 24 05 Mortar fire in north, Kassams in south

Kassam Rocket - Picture Archive


Mortar fire in north, Kassams in south


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Margot Dudkevitch and JPost staff, THE JERUSALEM POST Aug. 25, 2005

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Three days after the completion of the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip – an operation conducted amidst near-total quiet on the part of the various terror organizations – Israel again found itself under fire.

A mortar shell landed in Moshav Margaliot near the Lebanese border Thursday morning. No one was injured, but a chicken coop sustained damage.

According to Channel 2 the mortar was fired by mistake by the Hizbullah due to a technical mishap.

Lebanese security sources said a rocket also landed in Lebanese territory, but there were no injuries, Israel Radio reported.

Following the attack, Israel submitted a formal complaint to the UNIFIL forces on the Lebanon-Israel border.

The security alert level in the north has been raised.

Approximately two hours later, two Kassam rockets landed between Sderot and Kibbutz Nir Am in the western Negev. Sderot's Red Dawn early warning system was activated a short time before the rockets landed, and no injuries were reported as a result of the attack.

Security forces were combing the area.

In the past, Israel has taken retaliatory action against terrorist fire. However, in light of the disengagement, it is unclear at this time how the military will respond to Thursday's events.

The Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip (Yesha) stated, in response to Thursday's attacks, that terror organizations have "understood the hint" implied in Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Yesha added that terrorists are making a mockery of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's promises that the Gaza pullout would improve Israel's security situation, Israel Radio reported.


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