IDF soldiers are fighting in Gaza and Israelis are keeping a stiff uppper lip on the home front.
Six IDF soldiers were wounded Tuesday when Hamas terrorists shelled their position in a firefight that took place inside Gaza territory. Two are listed in fair condition, and four others were listed in good condition at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon and Sheba Hospital at Tel Hashomer Medical Center in Tel Aviv.
Iron Dome anti-missile defenses were kept busy throughout the day and into the night as well, with missile fire blanketing the Jewish State.
Color Red rocket alert alarms blared through the coastal city of Ashkelon at 10 pm in a repeat performance of the race for the bomb shelters that had been taking place all night throughout the country.
Within 15 minutes, the alarms had spread to the Shfela region, the port city of Ashdod, where one missile was shot down high above the city by Iron Dome operators.
More Code Red alarms reverberated back to Ashkelon and then headed up the coast to the metro Tel Aviv area, where two M75 missiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome system over the city about three minutes later. One missile was intercepted over the city of Rishon Lezion.
Nine Grad Katyusha missiles were fired in a massive barrage at around 9:30 pm at the Negev city of Be’er Sheva. Four were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, indicating they were headed directly for populated areas.
Less than two hours earlier, Gaza terrorists had fired their longer-range M302 missiles at the Judean hills and Gush Etzion at about 8 pm, along with the Jerusalem suburb of Beit Shemesh. One of the missiles was shot down by the Iron Dome system over a neighborhood in Beit Shemesh. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attacks, admitting to “two missiles fired towards Jerusalem.”
At about 7 pm, four missiles were launched from Gaza and aimed at the Ashkelon coastal region. All four fell short, however, landing instead within the terrorist-run enclave instead.
It is not known how many Gaza civilians were killed and wounded due to the deadly determination of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists to continue their battle against Israeli civilians.
Throughout the day Tuesday, incessant rocket fire and mortar shell attacks were aimed at the 40-plus communities that line the Gaza border area. Residents of those communities have spent the last several weeks in their shelters most of the time and Tuesday was no exception. On Tuesday night, their sojourn in safe rooms continued.