2 Givati Soldiers die and 6 or 7 are wounded in a day of close to 50 Rockets

Eyewitnesses to the war. Received by email:

Below, DEBKA writes how close the rockets are getting to Ashdod. We are now talking about close to half a million Israelis or more within the Grad rocket range and a threat to our power plant, oil installations, military bases along with civilians. The truth is that if Olmert and Barak want to put up shields in Sderot, they have no intention of going into Gaza and cleaning out the nest and cancer there.

One of the soldiers killed was a Sargent from Beer Sheva. Families of all have been notified. The latest numbers are 46 Shihidim and 60 wounded of the terrorist. It it were 10,000 or more maybe they would think about a cease fire but that is nothing for them. 6 of our civilians were wounded in the Negev and/or Ashkelon.

DEBKAfile's military sources report: Israel's Givati Brigade troops engaged in heavy fighting with Hamas armed forces in the northern Gaza Strip's Sejaya and Jebalya areas Saturday March 1, in the IDF's first extended challenge to Hamas missile and rocket attacks on Ashkelon and Sderot regions. Tanks, self-propelled guns, F-16 fighter jets and helicopters took part in the combat. Five Israeli soldiers were injured by Palestinian fire, two seriously. The Palestinians reported 38 dead - 15 in battle, the rest civilians including 5 children, as well as 120 injured.

Two air force attacks took place in late afternoon in Jebalya - one hit a large store of war materiel, including missiles.

Throughout the battles, the Palestinians continued firing scores of missiles and rockets - 47 by evening. Three waves of extended Katyusha rockets hit Ashkelon, under attack for the third day running. One set the shopping center on fire after two crashed into houses, injuring 6 people, two of them children. There were dozens of shock victims.

After the Red Color code alert was installed, furious Ashkelonites said they will never let their town become Sderot No. 2, an Israeli town whose population has dwindled under years of missile attacks from Gaza. Leaders of Ashkelon's 120,000 inhabitants are demanding tough Israeli military action against Gaza to nip its expanded aggression in the bud. More sirens were installed in Ashkelon Saturday, public bomb shelters opened and Magen David emergency services reinforced with extra ambulances and medical teams.

Sderot and its kibbutz and moshav neighbors sustained 50 Qassam missiles. One exploded harmlessly in an empty nursery school. Six shock victims were hospitalized.

A Grad rocket reached Kfar Silver which is situated between Ashkelon and the big port town of Ashdod to the north. This town, 27 km north of Gaza, and within range of the larger and more powerful Palestinian rockets, is preparing for Palestinian rocket attacks to start. Twelve alert systems are ready.

The education minister is drawing up plans to evacuate children from towns and villages in direct line of missile fire from Gaza.

The IDF's Homeland Command has installed Red Color code alerts in 8 locations around Ashkelon: Kfar Silver, Berachiya, Bat Hadar, Beit Shikma, Mavki'im, Talmei Yosef, Gaya and Mishan.

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Markor Rishon Newspaper exposes that 4 Arabs associated with certain not so Tzaddikim are main financial backers of Hillary's Opponent but it might be too late for Hillary to do anything about it. Ble Neder in my Inyanay Diyoma I will name names this week. This info should go out to every Jew before the main election in November if he is the candidate.

Be well.