14-Mar-12: Another Grad rocket attack from Gaza - this time, it's Beer Sheva that gets hit [UPDATED]

In the past half hour, the ceasefire-with-terrorists arrangement produced another rocket attack on southern Israel. This time, Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted a rocket launched by the terrorists of the Gaza Strip in the direction of Beer Sheva. The mid-air intercept is reported to have succeeded and as a result there are no injuries or damage. But several residents of the southern city are being treated for shock.

UPDATE Wednesday 9:00 pm Israel time - There were two Iron Dome intercepts in the skies over Beer Sheva, not one, reports Ynet in an update filed about half an hour ago. These incoming missiles were both powerful, long-range GRAD rockets. A third GRAD rocket, not intercepted presumably because Iron Dome correctly predicted its trajectory, crashed into open spaces somewhere on the periphery of the city. In the past 3 minutes, the mayor of Ashkelon, a city on Israel's southern coast and perilously close to the thuggish hordes of Gaza, has decided there will be no school for the city's children tomorrow. Simply too dangerous.

And now we hear that the children of Beer Sheva and Ashdod will also be staying home on Thursday.

This is another aspect of how a war conducted by terrorists differs from conventional war. Weapons are not only more powerful than in the past; they are also more technology-rich. One person, literally, or perhaps two, can make the decision to fire a volley that threatens an entire city, and can go ahead and do it. No army needed. No chain of command. Just some terrorist thug with other people's deaths on his mind. And millions of civilians on the other side of the fence are then his hostage. We're not saying that's happened here, but it's fairly clear that it is not so far from the reality we face in Islamist Gaza.