Sirens in Tel Aviv Area, Rocket 'Falls into the Sea'

Rocket hurt no one. IDF massing ground forces near Gaza. Minister: Gaza is in for unprecedented attack.

By Gil Ronen- ArutzSheva 7

First Publish: 11/15/2012, 6:12 PM

Bat Yam seashore

Israel news photo: Flash 90

 

Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and residents were told to head for shelter Thursday evening. An explosion was reportedly heard. Magen David Adom said that there were no casualties. Voice of Israel public radio said that the rocket is believed to have struck in a southern suburb of Tel Aviv, but Home Front Defense Minister Avi Dichter said that the rocket apparently fell into the sea near Bat Yam.

Minister of Public Security Yitzchak Aharonovich gave a conflicting account and said that a missile fell into the sea.

The IDF is massing ground forces near Gaza and preparing for a possible assault. Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) told Voice of Israel that Gaza is in for an "unprecedented attack."

Three sirens were also sounded in Be'er Sheva a few minutes before 7:00 p.m. and Magen David Adom said that a salvo of rockets was fired at the city. The Iron Dome system reportedly succeeded in intercepting five rockets.

A rocket fired from Gaza on Thursday struck Rishon Letzion, some 15 kilometers (nine miles) south of Tel Aviv, but there were no injuries or damage.

This is the furthest north Gaza terrorists have been able to strike since Operation Defensive Pillar began Wednesday.

Experts said it was most likely an Iranian-built Fajr 5 from Hamas's arsenal, which have a range of up to 75 kilometers (46 miles).

"There was a rocket that hit in an open field in the Rishon Letzion area. There were no injuries or damage," an army spokeswoman said. The city, with a population of some 228,000, lies about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Gaza. It borders on the greater Tel Aviv metropolitan zone.

Tags: Hamas ,Rishon Letzion ,Fajr missile

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