Rocket from Syria lands in Golan, Bedouin sisters injured near Beersheba

Marcy Oster

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A rocket fired from Syria landed in the Golan Heights, and a rocket near Beersheba injured two Bedouin sisters.

The rocket that landed near Kibbutz El Rom in the Golan Heights on Monday evening started a fire. The Israel Defense Forces reportedly believes it was launched at Israel deliberately and not as part of the fallout from Syria’s three-year civil war. A separate rocket was fired early Monday morning from Lebanon.

The two Bedouin sisters, ages 11 and 13, were injured Monday evening by a rocket that landed in Lakiya, near Beersheba, according to the IDF. One is in serious condition and one is in moderate condition at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.

At least two rockets were shot down over the heavily populated Tel Aviv at the start of the Monday evening rush hour and one reportedly landed in an open area. Sirens were heard in Tel Aviv as well as in the surrounding cities of Herzliya, Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak, Givatayim, Kfar Shmaryahu and Ramat Hasharon. Hamas claimed responsibility for the rockets fired toward Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, Gaza terrorists fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli tank near the border with the northern Gaza Strip. The anti-tank missile was deflected by the tank’s protection system, causing no injuries. Despite this, Hamas’ military wing announced that it had destroyed an Israeli tank with anti-tank missile fire.

Also Monday evening, Hamas sent a text message to hundreds of Israelis warning that it will continue to rain rockets down on Israel until Israel agrees to its terms for a ceasefire.

“The stupidity of your leaders has placed all of Israel under fire and forced all Israelis to enter shelters. We will continue to shoot at every place in Israel until all our legitimate demands are met fully,” reads the text.

The demands include lifting the blockade on Gaza, releasing Palestinian prisoners freed in the Shalit deal that were rearrested in recent weeks and opening the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Six Palestinians were killed Monday through the evening by Israeli airstrikes, according to the Palestinian Maan news agency.