WASHINGTON – Gaza's terror groups continued to fire rockets on Israel's south overnight and early on Thursday. Five people were injured in the morning when a rocket hit a Yeshiva in the city of Kiryat Malachi. Three of the victims sustained serious injuries.
Meanwhile, a rocket barrage targeted Ashdod, with one projectile hitting a home but failing to cause casualties. A school in Ofakim was also hit. Salvos targeted Beersheba, Ashkelon and Gan Yavne as well. Some of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
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Earlier Thursday, four rockets were fired at Beersheba at around 6:20 am. No injuries were reported.
An additional five rockets were fired at the Eshkol Regional Council overnight without causing injuries or damage. More than 110 rockets were fired at Israel since the beginning of Operation Cloud Pillar that was launched Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the IDF continued to strike Gaza and hit several terrorist targets including rocket launching sites. The Palestinians reported that three people were killed in a strike on Khan Younis.
Also Thursday, a United Nations Security Council emergency meeting on Operation Cloud Pillar ended after 90 minutes without any resolution.
During the meeting, held at the request of Egypt, Morocco and the Palestinians, the representatives of the 15 member states were briefed on the developments by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman.
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| Iron Dome intercepts rocket (Video: Noam Pair) |
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The Palestinian Authority's UN envoy, Riyad Mansour, told the Security Council, "Once again the international community is witness to Israel's malicious onslaught, using the most lethal military means and illegal measures against the defenseless Palestinian civilian population."
He urged the council to act. "A direct firm message must be sent to Israel to cease immediately its military campaign against the Palestinian people and to abide ... by its obligations under international law," Mansour said, according to a text of his statement distributed to reporters.
"The Israeli occupying forces are now mobilizing on the ground as we speak," Mansour said. "Fear and panic are spreading among the Palestinian civilian population."
US ambassador Susan Rice strongly defended Israel's military response to the "vicious" Hamas attacks.
While Arab envoys called on the council to condemn Israel's attacks, Rice said there was no justification for the violence that "Hamas and other terrorist organizations" are aiming at Israel.
Damage in Gaza (Photo: Reuters)
Israel's UN Ambassador Ron Prosor said after the meeting that some of the representatives supported Israel's right to self-defense and condemned the indiscriminate attacks against civilians.
Arab envoys dubbed the meeting "useless." The UNSC president said there was no attempt to reach a decision.
Results of IDF airstrikes (Photo: EPA)
Speaking at the meeting, Prosor said, "All of you in this Chamber know that is not the first time that I have spoken to this Council about the frightening reality facing the people of Southern Israel. It is not the first time that I have warned about the explosive potential of the situation in Gaza.
I have raised the issue in speech after speech, in letter after letter, in meeting after meeting. The Council did nothing. It said nothing. Not one word.
"We have demonstrated maximum restraint for years, but the Israeli Government has a right and a duty to respond to these attacks. Israel will not play Russian Roulette with the lives of our citizens."
Operation Cloud Pillar (Photo: AP)
Prior to the meeting, Prosor urged the international community to condemn "indiscriminate rocket fire against Israeli citizens - children, women."
Meanwhile, Sudanese Ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, speaking on behalf of a group of Arab ambassadors, urged the council to condemn Israel's "barbaric heinous attack."
Nearly 100 rockets were fired at Israel since the beginning of Operation Cloud Pillar. Two Israelis were lightly injured by shrapnel and 14 people suffered from anxiety. The Iron Dome system intercepted almost 30 rockets.
Medical sources in Gaza said that 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes, including Ahmed Jabari. They claim that 45 people were hurt including 10 in critical condition. According to the Palestinians, among the fatalities are an 11-month-old baby and a six-year-old boy.
Yitzhak Benhorin, Ilana Curiel, Elior Levy, Yoav Zitun, Reuters and AFP contributed to this report
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