Some 25 Israelis soldiers were hospitalized after a Qassam rocket launched from northern Gaza landed on a military base in the western Negev early Tuesday morning. This is the largest number of casualties to date resulting from a single Qassam attack.
Magen David Adom reported sending 20 ambulances and two support helicopters to the scene. Casualties were treated at the scene and then transferred to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba, and Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer
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In total, almost sixty soldiers arrived at the hospitals, and while some were being treated only for shock, the military and MDA reported that at approximately half were physically wounded. IDF sources told Ynet that there were serious consequences as a result of a direct hit. “Sometimes there are direct hits, and then there are many casualties. That’s what happened this time.”
The army confirmed that the lethal Qassam landed in the Zikkim base, about 1 kilometer north of the Gaza Strip, next to a tent containing several soldiers from a battalion in basic training. The casualties, along with their battalion members, were scheduled to complete basic training mere hours after the attack took place.
Despite the rocket threat on the region, it had been decided that the new recruits would continue sleeping in tents. The tent that sustained the direct hit served as a makeshift meal tent and contained a number of soldiers at the time of impact. Several soldiers in an adjacent sleeping tent were injured from shrapnel and the force of the blast.
The Qassam, which was launched from the area of Bein Hanoun, was claimed by the Salah a-Din Brigades – the military arm of the Public Resistance Committees. Abu Mujahad, the organization’s spokesman, told Ynet that the brigades had launched two rockets into Israel.
Partial fortifications
IDF forces in the area identified only one rocket when it was launched, which landed in a Gaza vicinity community near the base. The area where the rockets landed has formerly been the target of several rocket attacks and, consequently, fortification projects were being undertaken in the region.
In December 2005, the Zikkim base itself sustained a rocket attack. As a result of intense parental pressure, the military decided to build fortifications on base, including cement walls surrounding the tent compound. While it was decided not to fully fortify each tent, military sources stated they believe the structures prevented a much larger catastrophe from occurring.
Nonetheless, Yosi Namir, a Zaka member who was one of the first to arrive on the scene, described the events as “truly severe… The rocket had landed on a tent. Many of the soldiers on base were sleeping at the time, which increased the panic. We assisted MDA in helping the wounded. Everything is a mess, soldiers shouting, calling for help.”
The incident Tuesday occured after a brief respite from Qassam attacks, which the IDF had attributed to Hamas’ desire to keep a low profile in order to concentrate on arming themselves, strengthening their position internally and expanding ‘terror studies’.
Israel over 10 years ago moved basic training camps from west bank out of fear of terrorist attacks. What we have learned except for our cowardly and corrupt leaders, is that the more we run from the terrorists and terror the more they run after us. The people know this at least those with any common sense. Re taking gaza is the only ans. and as a supreme punishment I would then build 100 settlements there. Since land and Israels destruction is the eternal aim they must pay for their aggression and abject hatred in the only couin that hurts them (Loss of land and more Jews among them)http://www.torahohr.net/gogumagog/
Last week we read of the Muslim Waqf Trust again excavating on the Temple Mount and as usual the sounds heard from Israel, be it the GOI, opposition MKs and the Israeli public were the sounds of silence.
No doubt the GOI in anticipation of the Washington peace conference upcoming in November, did not want to say or do anything that might upset the Palestinians or the Muslim world.
Whether it is the deliberate efforts by Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims to destroy historical memory or evidence of the Jewish connection to Eretz Yisroel and in so doing defile and desecrate one of the most important sites in Jewish history, our own Temple Mount, Israelis and Jews the world over say and do little about it.
How Israel and the world Jewish community can react with equanimity, if not outright apathy to the deliberate sacriligious desecration of our Jewish Temple mount or the unprovoked attacks against the IDF and Israeli citizens by radical Jew hating Arabs/Palestinians/Muslims is way beyond reason.
These people that mark Israel’s history and Israelis for death, deserve death delivered in whatever way that assures these depraved Jew hating evil scum are destroyed.
Hamas called this strike a victory for God. According to the Jerusalem Post, two Palestinian groups claimed responsibility for the attack – the Nasr Salah al-Din Brigades, the Palestinian Resistance Committee’s armed wing, and the Islamic Jihad.
If Israel wanted an excuse to halt all discussions with Abbas and the Palestinians and call off attending the Washington peace conference in November, the Palestinians as predicted, just gave them all the excuse they need.
Alas, Israel led by a government that sees virtue and strength in appeasement and taking the lead in doing the job of Israel’s enemies by cutting Israel down in size by giving pieces of Israel away, don’t want an excuse to avoid discussions with the Palestinians or lose out on this chance at the Washington peace conference for them to do Israel even more grievous harm.
Israelis are apathetic or have just given up. How else can one explain there is no mass resistance to Olmert and a massive effort to throw him out of office and put someone who will only seek peace through strength as opposed to Olmert’s way of engaging in the futile search for peace through weakness.
The Jerusalem Post reports that:
Being attacked without provocation time and again and this morning to lose soldiers is a sad day for Israel. It is far sadder that Israel does nothing to retaliate.
An Israel can scream out all day long, Am Yisroael Chai, but if nothing is done but scream about it, Am Yisroel Chai is guaranteed to be short term.
As usual, Olmert takes no action, but talks a lot of hot air, saying they may hit back AFTER the holidays… and hopes that by then people will forget.
Both Shas and Israel Beeiteinu should resign from government, forcing a general election… but whether they prefer the power of being MKs to addressing real concerns of the people, like security issues, is yet to be seen.