Palestinian Authority terrorists in northern Gaza fired a mortar shell Thursday at a kibbutz in the Sha'ar HaNegev region of the western Negev. No one was injured in the attack, which was aimed at workers in the agricultural fields of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, located near the security fence. A search for the mortar shell launched immediately after the explosion eventually found the projectile had not made it past the barrier, and no damage was reported. The Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council area is located midway between Be'er Sheva and Ashkelon and is bound on the west by Gaza. More than 6,000 Jews live in the region, which is home to 10 kibbutzim, one moshav, a family-owned farm and a village for immigrant students. Kibbutz Nahal Oz, or "Mighty Stream", was founded in 1951 as the first of the Nahal settlements, initially as a Nahal outpost and then recognized in 1953 as kibbutz by the United Kibbutz movement. Home to some 90 families, the community is located near the southern Israeli cities of Sderot and Netivot. The kibbutz produces various metal items as well as hi-tech security cameras, in addition to its field crops and livestock.
