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Sapper clearing Katyusha rocket that hit northern Ashkelon on Thursday. (Limor Edrey)
Last update - 06:12 04/01/2008
Nine Gazans killed by IDF fire; Katyusha hits north Ashkelon
By Yuval Azoulay, Avi Issacharoff, and Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: IDF, Gaza, Palestinians

A Katyusha rocket fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning struck an open field in northern Ashkelon, the furthest distance a rocket has struck yet - traveling some 16.5 kilometers.

Also Thursday, at least nine Palestinians were killed by Israel Defense Forces fire in several separate incidents in the Gaza Strip, including at least four militants.

The rocket that struck Ashkelon was identified as a Grad-type Katyusha, 122 milimeters in diameter. Militants acquired the rocket from Iran and have used the type before in attacks on Israel.
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In response, Israel Air Force warplanes struck a series of targets associated with terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.

The pilots who carried out the mission reported successful strikes on the targets, which included a weapons workshop belonging to Islamic Jihad in Gaza City, a building connected to a Jihad activist in the central Strip and a Hamas target in southern Gaza.

"Though until now it was only the population immediately adjacent to the Gaza Strip that was in the immediate firing line, because of the extended range we could have as many as 250,000 Israelis in the firing line," said Mark Regev, spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Also Thursday, three Qassam rockets hit the western Negev, one of them striking a Sderot home. The rocket damaged the windows of the house, and one woman was treated for shock. There were no damage or injuries in either of the other two attacks.

At least eight Palestinians killed by IDF fire in Gaza

At least eight Palestinians were killed by IDF fire in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including at least four militants.

IDF troops targeted a group of militants who had fired an anti-tank rocket at them in northern Gaza, killing one Hamas militant.

Earlier Thursday, an IDF tank shell hit a home in the area of the clashes, killing a militant from the Islamic Jihad, his mother, sister, and two brothers, and wounding six others, Palestinian officials said.

The IDF said Palestinian militants holed up inside the building fired on ground troops who were operating in the area. According to the army, troops came under heavy fire from light arms and anti-tank rockets, and responded with tank fire.

The IDF said two militants were killed, along with two Palestinian women who were inside the building. "The IDF wishes to clarify that the responsibility for the death of the Palestinian women lies with the gunmen, who operated intentionally from a civilian environment," said the army in a statement.

Earlier, two militants were killed by IDF fire in southern Gaza.

Hamas officials reported heavy clashes between its men and IDF troops east of Khan Yunis and at least nine IAF air strikes overnight that wounded 10 people, at least three critically.

The fighting came a day after the IDF killed seven Hamas, Popular Resistance Committees and Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade militants early Wednesday morning in a joint operation that included both land and air forces.

Palestinians reported that five of the militants were killed by an IAF missile strike while a sixth militant from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade was killed in a gunfight with IDF soldiers on the ground.

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  • Hamas thanks Egypt for ensuring return of Palestinian pilgrims
  • Jerusalem seeks Bush okay for IDF free hand in West Bank
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      1.   MORE TERRORISTS "JOINING" THE 09:30  |  Robert 03/01/08
      2.   "The IDF`s War" 09:46  |  Clickfool 03/01/08
      3.   THEY must think this will achieve their goal of Islamic Republic 09:48  |  PETER SM 03/01/08
      4.   We told you so- but you didn`t listen 09:49  |  Anti Disengagement 03/01/08
      5.   Getting cheeky 09:52  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/01/08
      6.   Upping The Ante 10:01  |  Clickfool 03/01/08
      7.   Give up Ahkelon for peace 10:12  |  Jimmy Dhimmi 03/01/08
      8.   More payback 10:24  |  Colin Wright 03/01/08
      9.   Message # 6 is Fake Clickfool 10:25  |  Clickfool 03/01/08
      10.   Clickfool, I would love for you... 10:29  |  Dutch 03/01/08
      11.   2 Click: "children under the age of 21" 10:30  |  I 03/01/08
      12.   Clickfool, you live in the next Islamic republic 10:31  |  POP 03/01/08
      13.   Katyusha, not Qassam, hits Ashkelon 10:52  |  roc 03/01/08
      14.   Qamplacency Strikes Oddmert- again 10:55  |  sptz 03/01/08
      15.   Clickfool 10:59  |  Sarah 03/01/08
      16.   A Katusha Hit Ashkelon, not a Qassam 11:02  |  Proud Israeli 03/01/08
      17.   A Katusha Hit Ashkelon, not a Qassam 11:02  |  Proud Israeli 03/01/08
      18.   Without hesitation! 11:05  |  Vital 03/01/08
      19.   IAF brave when facing unarmed civilians - wait until Iran war! 11:13  |  1 state 03/01/08
      20.   The little Qassam that could 11:14  |  Natallie Durson 03/01/08
      21.   collin wright, but usually wrong 11:15  |  sptz 03/01/08
      22.   Is Clickfool ..... "Odd" ? 11:36  |  Craig F 03/01/08
      23.   Chidren under 21...check out age of WWll soldiers 11:36  |  The Equalizer 03/01/08
      24.   clickfool 11:37  |  george 03/01/08
      25.   Clickfool # 2 11:39  |  Kevin 03/01/08
      26.   Hiding behind woman...as usual 11:40  |  maurice 03/01/08
      27.   1 state is BEHIND THE TIMES 11:41  |  Ruth 03/01/08
      28.   Durson: A Bullet Is MUCH Smaller Than A Qassam 11:52  |  Yishai Kohen 03/01/08
      29.   israel hypocrisy 11:54  |  donnie 03/01/08
      30.   slightly incorrect 12:00  |  jackie 03/01/08
      31.   #12 POP,if that was really you.... 12:05  |  Hastaroth 03/01/08
      32.   ignoring facts 12:08  |  jackie 03/01/08
      33.   The Greatest Threat to Israel 12:10  |  Average Joe 03/01/08
      34.   And next week it`ll be `children under the age of thirty` 12:11  |  A Jew 03/01/08
      35.   this is a sign hamas are getting better weapons 12:14  |  Joey 03/01/08
      36.   Rocket and Katyusha vs the Bullet 12:16  |  Nephtaly 03/01/08
      37.   122mm Grad-type Katyousha to Ashkelon 12:29  |  Nora 03/01/08
      38.   OYEZ! Hamas comes to Sussex town 12:39  |  Jasmine Murphy 03/01/08
      39.   Cliclfool No. 9 12:42  |  Horace Clarck 03/01/08
      40.   where our restrain will lead us ? 13:03  |  dovdevan 03/01/08
      41.   Proof Hamas` methods are made in Iran 13:12  |  Fortuna Benmayor 03/01/08
      42.   children firing Katyushas at Ashkelon 13:17  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/01/08
      43.   Difference between Palestinians and Israelis 13:18  |  H50 03/01/08
      44.   12 DEAD "MILITANTS". THE WORLD IS NOW A BETTER PLACE 13:19  |  Murray of Montreal 03/01/08
      45.   Nice photo of three plonkers 13:20  |  Clickfool 03/01/08
      46.   #20, "you heard it from me first", poor deluded Durson 13:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/01/08
      47.   792 VIRGINS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY 13:25  |  Murray of Montreal 03/01/08
      48.   Katyusha 13:25  |  Chris 03/01/08
      49.   #2 Clickfraud 13:37  |  Jewlicious 03/01/08
      50.   Kattyusha`s violate international law.... 13:43  |  Teresa-Maria (Tess) 03/01/08
      51.   Natallie Durson - Terrorist behavior 13:46  |  Michael Jacobs 03/01/08
      52.   Dangerous Katyushas, Clickfool & other trolls. 13:48  |  Stan 03/01/08
      53.   Israel must respond harshly and do so without much delay! 13:48  |  Anat 03/01/08
      54.   Clickfool (about the ninth attempt since yesterday) 13:50  |  Nik "BANNED" Miller 03/01/08
      55.   Going after their families, mother and sisters 14:00  |  Franco Biltner 03/01/08
      56.   Gaza is Izzy`s little killing field 14:03  |  muslim 03/01/08
      57.   #19 1 state 14:07  |  Franco 03/01/08
      58.   Lovely 14:09  |  Jeffrey 03/01/08
      59.   Katyusha Strikes N.Ashkelon Thanks to Olmert Gov`t Policies of 14:17  |  Joseph E . 03/01/08
      60.   8Colin Wright,israel has been `indulging`in so much killing that 14:18  |  lakshmi 03/01/08
      61.   Good Work boys!! - IDF keep it up!! 14:19  |  Levi 03/01/08
      62.   #19 i state 14:23  |  danny 03/01/08
      63.   Hani h05 14:32  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/01/08
      64.   The IDF is engaged in senselesss slaughter of Palestinians 14:34  |  Dutch 03/01/08
      65.   Israel`s response to the death of two IDF soldiers last week 14:35  |  Paul Wood 03/01/08
      66.   No 42 14:36  |  Lanky 03/01/08
      67.   #35 14:37  |  danny 03/01/08
      68.   Hamas should down the Israeli angels of death in the sky 14:41  |  Dutch 03/01/08
      69.   80 ISLAMOFASCISTS LESS IN 3 WEEKS, WELL DONE 14:45  |  maurice 03/01/08
      70.   #42 Nik Miller 14:45  |  Chris Linthwaite 03/01/08
      71.