Following the incessant rocket firing on civilian centers in southern Israel, four Iron Dome batteries were positioned overnight alongside the Gaza strip border. The cities of Beer Sheva, Ashkelon and Ashdod are now better protected. Four Border Guard policemen were injured Tuesday from a Grad hit.
The decision to deploy the battery was reached Tuesday night discussions led by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. This is the first time that four batteries are protecting the southern region concurrently.
The decision to increase the protection of southern communities proved critical by Wednesday morning, as overnight nine Qassam rockets were shot from Gaza into Israel, exploding in open areas, fortunately, in the south western Negev, in the Eshkol Regional Council area.
Overnight AIF aircraft attacked six terrorist targets throughout the Gaza strip. Another attack was executed Wednesday morning, in the northern part of the strip. All AIF units returned to base unharmed.
The Attacks were in response to high trajectory fire at Israeli territory in recent days.
School sessions in the settlements around Gaza will take place only in protected schools. Public events will be held depending on the availability of protective spaces and not in open areas. Residents were instructed to use dining rooms and synagogues in protected buildings as much as possible. In addition, the IDF decided to ban travel along Highway 10, which runs along the entire border of Israel with Egypt, from the Gaza Strip in the north to Sayarim junction in the south.