JERUSALEM (JTA) – A school in Beersheba was hit by a Grad rocket one day after an Israeli in the city was killed by a rocket.
The school in Beersheba was empty during Sunday morning’s strike, with the start of school just two weeks away. At least six rockets were fired at the city; at least one was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
Six rockets were also fired in the direction of Ashkelon, damaging a building. Three were intercepted by Iron Dome, according to reports.
In all, nearly 100 rockets have been fired at Israel since terrorist attacks killed 8 Israelis and wounded more than 20 on Aug. 18, according to the Israel Defense Forces. More than 30 struck Israel on Saturday. More than 1 million Israelis live within range of Gaza’s rockets.
Israel’s Air Force bombed a terror cell in northern Gaza on Sunday morning, the first such strike in 24 hours, according to the IDF.
Early on Saturday, Hamas announced on a Gaza radio station that it was canceling its truce with Israel.
Since Aug. 18, Israel’s Air Force says it struck at least 15 sites across the Gaza Strip, including infrastructure, outposts, smuggling tunnels, weapons storage sites and manufacturing facilities.
"Over the last two days, Israel has been hitting back hard at those responsible for the attack in the south and is acting with efficiency against the launching of Grad missiles and rockets from Gaza in order to protect the citizens of Israel," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Saturday.
Barak announced an IDF investigation into the deaths of Egyptian troops during exchanges of fire in the Aug. 18 terrorist attack. There will also be a joint investigation with the Egyptian military, he said.
Barak expressed regret at the deaths of the soldiers. "The Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty has great importance and much strategic value for the stability of the Middle East," Barak said.
The Arab League on Sunday called on the United Nations to force Israel to end its air strikes on Gaza.
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