21 Injured in Jerusalem Day Kassam Barrage

On the eve of Jerusalem Day, a barrage of "ineffectual Kassams" struck multiple buildings in Sderot including a school, causing a total of 21 injuries. In response, the IDF fired into empty fields, causing no damage or injuries. Despite essentially no change in the months-long missile siege from Gaza, Amir Peretz found it necessary to suddenly convene an "emergency meeting" to decide how to respond. Actually, there has been a significant development--it is now a news story, so that angle needs to be managed.

On a day plagued with Israeli casualties, Qassam rockets did not stop raining on Sderot and the vicinity. Late Tuesday night, eight Qassams landed in the region, in three separate salvos. No one was injured from this particular barrage, but earlier rockets wreaked havoc.

Tuesday evening, a Sderot resident was seriously wounded after a Qassam rocket launched from Gaza slammed into her house. Her young son was moderately wounded. Thirteen rockets landed in the vicinity of Sderot during this attack, causing no other injuries but substantial damage to an elementary school.

Less than an hour after the first attack terror groups launched five additional rockets from Gaza, directly hitting a second house in the city. The house was damaged but no injuries were reported. A third rocket landed in the city's commercial center and damaged several stores.

An additional Qassam hit a low-voltage powerline, causing a temporary black-out. Residents said the barrage was one of the worst in a long time.

Later in the evening Palestinians also fired two mortar shells at a kibbutz in the western Negev, no injuries or damage were reported and officials said the shells landed in an open field.

The 45-year-old Sderot woman who was seriously wounded was treated by an emergency medical team for a head injury. She and her wounded son were both evacuated to the Barzilai hospital in Ashkelon, where doctors now say her situation has improved and is now deemed as moderate.