Hamas firing rockets during humanitarain lull

Hamas takes advantage of the humanitarian truce that Israel imposes every day for three hours, and fires rockets at that time. For some reason, this is not widely reported. It has happened on previous days, but media are not picking up the story. The only story featured prominently tells that Hamas promissed to observe the lull.

 

Link to video: Hamas firing during lull

Rockets strike Israel during humanitarian lull

January 12, 2009

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Hamas rockets hit two houses in southern Israel during a voluntary Israeli humanitarian cease-fire.

Israel stopped fighting for three hours Monday, as it has daily for the past week, to allow Palestinian civilians to restock or change locations, and to allow aid agencies to distribute its goods during the 17th day of Operation Cast Lead. But Hamas continued to fire rockets at Israel during the lull, scoring direct hits on homes in Ashkelon and Sderot. No one was injured, although several people went into shock and the homes were badly damaged.

One rocket landed near an Ashkelon high school where students had returned and were holding classes in bomb shelters. Attendance, however, was very low.  

At least 16 rockets have hit southern Israel since Monday morning. According to reports, the number of rocket and mortar strikes on southern Israel has significantly decreased since the start of the operation.

Reserve soldiers have been sent into Gaza, an indication that the operation may be widening.

Overnight, the Air Force hit four weapons storehouses located in the homes of Hamas operatives, two tunnels dug under the homes of Hamas operatives and a smuggling tunnel on Gaza's border with Egypt, as well as a rocket launching position. Israeli ground troops clashed with armed Hamas gunmen in the northern Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, immigration officials told a Knesset committee on Monday that the Gaza operation has not stopped African migrants from infiltrating into Israel from Egypt. Some 168 migrants entered Israel illegally in the first nine days of fighting, The Jerusalem Post quoted Yaakov Ganot, the head of the National Immigration Authority, as telling the Knesset committee on foreign workers.