HAMAS FIRES ROCKET FROM OLD ISRAELI GAZA "SETTLEMENT"

Hamas fired new rocket from old Israeli settlement (Reuters)
BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Palestinian militants who fired a rocket deeper into Israel than ever before launched it from land that Israeli settlers had occupied until last year, witnesses said on Wednesday. The Hamas-made Qassam rocket was fired from the far north of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday evening and exploded 12 km (7.5 miles) away in the center of the Israeli city of Ashkelon, damaging a school but causing no injuries.

The strike provoked fear among Ashkelon's 120,000 residents that Palestinian militants have developed a more powerful, two-engine rocket that puts their community well within range and could lead to more frequent, deadly attacks in the future. Until now, most rockets fired by militants have been aimed at Sderot, a town about half as far away from Gaza as Ashkelon.

The fact Tuesday's rocket was launched from land that Israel held until last September will also fuel the anger of those who opposed Israel's unilateral pullout from Gaza after 38 years.