Hamas terrorists rocketed an Ashkelon home before noon Monday, in the midst of a three-hour truce unilaterally declared by Israel to allow aid to enter Gaza. Rockets also hit Be'er Sheva and the Sderot area before Israel's truce ended at 1 p.m. (6 a.m. EST). The two-story house was severely damaged, but five people in the house, including children, escaped injury because they managed to run into a fortified room within the one-minute warning period before the rocket exploded. The rocket hit the house seconds after the survivors entered the shelter inside the house. The rocket landed near a high school, where students are learning in underground bomb shelters, and several people were treated for shock. Three rockets hit the Sderot areas, one of them landing in the city and causing panic but no injuries or serious damage. A long-range Grad-type rocket hit an open area in the Be'er Sheva area and two others exploded near Ofakim, about seven miles east of Gaza. There have been no reports of injuries, and investigators are searching for the points of impact. Earlier in the morning, a rocket hit an open area in Kiryat Gat. This was at least the second time the city ws hit since Israel began the current Cast Lead counterterrorist operation in Gaza. Four short-range Kassam rockets and mortars have also hit Gaza Belt areas on Monday, causing no injuries or damage. The IDF continued its assault on Gaza, which has reduced the number of rocket attacks to about 20 a day. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni maintained that Israel will not stop its offensive if even if a single rocket is fired on Israel. Other officials, however, say that it is impossible to put a total end to Hamas rocket fire.
