Three foreign workers were badly injured by Hamas and Popular Resistance Committee rocket fire from Gaza on southern Israel on Wednesday morning.
The men, two of whom are in critical condition, were hurt when a chicken coop they were working in was attacked by missiles.
Seven houses also suffered direct hits as a result of the missile attack. Dozens of rockets were fired on the Eshkol, Shaar Hanegev, and Hof Ashkelon regional councils. In those attacks, one women was lightly injured running for cover and several Israelis were treated for shock. School has been cancelled in the areas, with citizens urged to remain close to bomb shelters.
Seven rockets were also intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, which were aimed at the metropolis of Ashkelon.
Israeli air and ground troops responded to the attacks, with Hamas leaders urging members to evacuate bases for fear of Israeli reprisals. Fighter planes launched against three targets in northern Gaza, killing three Hamas terrorists – one in Beit Lahia who was preparing to launch another rocket and two more in another area planning to do the same. IDF tanks also fired against rocket-launching targets.
In an interview with Army Radio on Wednesday morning, IDF Spokesman Yoav Mordechai assured citizens “if things in the south seem dreary, I promise you that it is worse in Gaza”.
Reports indicate that Gaza terrorists now possess launchers which can fire several missiles at once.
Earlier Tuesday, Palestinian terrorists detonated bomb in the Kissufim region on the Israel-Gaza border, seriously injuring an IDF company commander. The soldier was taken to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba in serious condition.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded to that attack at the beginning of a meeting with visiting Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, saying “Iran supported Hizbullah’s terror attacks in Bulgaria, Iran is supporting terror attacks now against us in Gaza,” and promising “we will fight and we will hit them very, very hard – very hard.”