A Palestinian rocket fired from the Gaza Strip killed an Israeli woman in the town of Sderot on Wednesday, Israel's Channel 2 television said. In addition to the 57-year-old woman another Israeli man with injured limbs was reported to be in serious condition.
Residents said the seriously wounded person worked as a security guard at the home of Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who lives in the town. An Israeli news website said one rocket also landed close to Peretz's home.
All in all, six rockets were fired from the northern Gaza Strip.
Israeli sources told ynet the Qassam rockets launched at Sderot were fired from the area of the cemetery next to Beit Hanoun. They added that in the past two weeks, the extent of Qassam rockets fired into Israel has increased.
The armed wing of Hamas Islamist movement said it fired four rockets at Sderot and claimed responsibility for the death, saying it was in response to Israeli shelling last week that killed 19 Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun. The Islamic Jihad said it had launched two rockets.
"The Zionist enemy has admitted a Zionist was killed as a result of the Qassam Brigades bombardment of Sderot," the Hamas armed wing said in a statement.
Meanwhile, a senior Hamas politician attempted to cross into the Gaza Strip from Egypt on Tuesday carrying US$ 2 million, Egyptian border officials said, according to Reuters.
"The Palestinian official arrived at the border and informed the Egyptian side that he was carrying about US$ 2 million collected on a trip to Saudi Arabia," one of the border officials said. According to him, border guards stopped Hamas deputy Mushir al-Masri from crossing, telling him that he had to "wait for coordination" to take the money across the border.
