Palestinian forces operating out of the Gaza Strip continued firing rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel overnight Wednesday and early Thursday morning.
At least 52 missiles and 16 mortar shells hit southern Israel from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning, causing minor damage and leaving a handful of Israelis suffering from shock.
Late Wednesday night Israeli aircraft opened fire on a group of Palestinian terrorists as they were launching a rocket at Jewish communities. Palestinian sources confirmed that at least one of the terrorists was killed.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided against a strong military response, but ordered all Gaza border crossing closed until further notice.