Three of the rockets landed in Eilat and caused no injury. Another two
Katyushas slammed into the neighboring Jordanian city of Aqaba and four
people were reported to have been injured. A Jordanian official said the
rockets were believed to have been launched from Egypt, something denied by
Cairo.
This marked the worst rocket attack on Israel since the Hamas war in
December 2008 and January 2009. During the 23-day war, Hamas fired more than
500 missiles and rockets into Israel.
This was the second rocket attack on Eilat in 2010. In April, two 107mm
Katyushas were fired toward Eilat from what was believed to have been
Egypt. One of the rockets fell into the Red Sea and there were no injuries.
Officials said elements linked to Al Qaida were believed responsible for
the latest rocket attack. They said Israel and Jordan have intensified
security amid reports that Al Qaida-aligned elements had smuggled rockets
and other weapons to both southern Jordan and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
"The Israel Defense Forces maintains ongoing contact with the Jordanian
and Egyptian militaries," the Israeli military said.
Hamas has also escalated missile and rocket strikes from the Gaza Strip.
On July 31, Israel conducted an air strike that killed a senior Hamas
weapons producer in the central Gaza Strip, and two days later the home of a
senior Hamas commander was destroyed in an explosion. The commander was
identified as Al Adnaf.
"I see the Hamas as directly responsible for any attack that comes from
the Gaza Strip toward the state of Israel and the international community
should see it this way as well," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said. "Israel reserves the right to defend its citizens and we will continue
to use all means to protect the people of Israel and the children of
Israel."
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