Palestinians target Israeli day care center

A Qassam rocket fired by Palestinian militants hit the courtyard of a day care center in the town of Sderot Monday. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers evacuated the children from the center soon after the strike. Palestinians target Israeli day care center The rocket was one of seven to be fired from the Gaza Strip into the western Negev on Monday. The Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, calling them "a gift for the opening of the school year." Twelve children suffered from shock after the strike on the southern town, and were evacuated to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon for treatment. Frantic parents across the city - already furious over the government's failure to protect them and their children from the near-daily rocket fire - reportedly pulled their children out of schools on the second day of the academic year. Batya Katar, head of the Sderot Parents Association, said parents were pulling all 2,500 of the town's students out of school. "Buses are already on the way to pick up students who haven't been taken home yet," Katar said over the phone, the voices of panicked parents audible in the background. "The government promised to move students out of the city if there was an escalation in Palestinian rocket fire," she said. "This is an escalation, but there is no sign of any solution," she added. Natalie, a caretaker at the center, told Army Radio that "in the adjacent classroom, which was closer to the site of impact, they didn't hear the alert until shattered glass fell on them. It's a matter of seconds between the 'Red Color' alert and the moment of impact." "Some of the children were screaming and we are trying to calm them down. I also considered abandoning the city, I left for a month in the past. I'm still thinking of leaving. I have a child and I won't let him experience this," she continued. Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal, accused the government of abandoning his city. "They simply don't care," he told Army Radio. Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tzachi Hanegbi said Israel will soon have to consider a wider ground operation in Gaza. "At some stage, decided by Israel, there will be no choice but to wage a campaign in the Gaza Strip," he told Army Radio. Wary parents in Sderot threatened not to send their children to school on the first day of the year on Sunday. But they lifted the strike threat after being promised the schools were properly protected and that shelters had been upgraded. To calm jittery residents ahead of the school year, the military dispatched more than 200 soldiers to accompany students back to school in Sderot and instruct them on emergency procedures. An IDF operation aimed at eliminating the Islamic Jihad cell responsible for the recent Qassam fire on Israel failed Sunday, when an Israel Air Force plane fired a missile at a car carrying Islamic Jihad militants in Khan Yunis. The missile hit near the vehicle, lightly damaging it. IDF forces arrested 24 Palestinian militants throughout the West Bank overnight Sunday.

Palestinians target Israeli day care center

The rocket was one of seven to be fired from the Gaza Strip into the western Negev on Monday.

The Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, calling them "a gift for the opening of the school year."

Twelve children suffered from shock after the strike on the southern town, and were evacuated to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon for treatment.

Frantic parents across the city - already furious over the government's failure to protect them and their children from the near-daily rocket fire - reportedly pulled their children out of schools on the second day of the academic year.

Batya Katar, head of the Sderot Parents Association, said parents were pulling all 2,500 of the town's students out of school.

"Buses are already on the way to pick up students who haven't been taken home yet," Katar said over the phone, the voices of panicked parents audible in the background. "The government promised to move students out of the city if there was an escalation in Palestinian rocket fire," she said.

"This is an escalation, but there is no sign of any solution," she added.

Natalie, a caretaker at the center, told Army Radio that "in the adjacent classroom, which was closer to the site of impact, they didn't hear the alert until shattered glass fell on them. It's a matter of seconds between the 'Red Color' alert and the moment of impact."

"Some of the children were screaming and we are trying to calm them down. I also considered abandoning the city, I left for a month in the past. I'm still thinking of leaving. I have a child and I won't let him experience this," she continued.

Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal, accused the government of abandoning his city. "They simply don't care," he told Army Radio.

Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tzachi Hanegbi said Israel will soon have to consider a wider ground operation in Gaza.

"At some stage, decided by Israel, there will be no choice but to wage a campaign in the Gaza Strip," he told Army Radio.

Wary parents in Sderot threatened not to send their children to school on the first day of the year on Sunday. But they lifted the strike threat after being promised the schools were properly protected and that shelters had been upgraded.

To calm jittery residents ahead of the school year, the military dispatched more than 200 soldiers to accompany students back to school in Sderot and instruct them on emergency procedures.

An IDF operation aimed at eliminating the Islamic Jihad cell responsible for the recent Qassam fire on Israel failed Sunday, when an Israel Air Force plane fired a missile at a car carrying Islamic Jihad militants in Khan Yunis. The missile hit near the vehicle, lightly damaging it.

IDF forces arrested 24 Palestinian militants throughout the West Bank overnight Sunday.