8-Jul-14: A torrent of incoming rockets

Thankfully it's quiet outside now. From Times of Israel in the past few minutes (it's now a little after 10:00 pm Tuesday night):

Israel just underwent a massive volley of some 30 rockets, with sirens blaring in southern Israel and as far north as Binyamina, as well as in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Several rockets were reported shot down by Iron Dome, but shrapnel from an interception causes damage to a wedding hall in Ashdod where nuptials are taking place. No injuries reported. In Jerusalem conflicting reports indicate rockets may have been shot down or impacted outside the city. Residents report hearing a series of three explosions.

A  Berry Sakharof musical concert underway at the Sultan's Pool outdoor amphitheatre in Jerusalem, next to the walls of the Old City, was interrupted and the 6,000 people attending were evacuated [Ynet].

Israel's Channel 2 TV station is providing non-stop news coverage with plenty of on-location views. They screened a striking video showing a torrent of perhaps thirty rockets dispatched by the terror-masters of Gaza, piercing the skies over Israel en route to any possible target. (The jihadists don't care who or what.)

If it's true (we don't know at this stage) that Binyamina was hit, that would validate Hamas' claims that they can strike virtually any location in Israel from their Gazan vipers' nest. Binyamina is close to Haifa, on Israel's northern coast.

Here in Jerusalem, the municipal authorities have just announced that the city's public bomb shelters are being opened up in the next few hours. Their location will be posted on the municipal website. Their official notification goes on to say:

The municipality also recommends that residents open their private shelters. In the case of a siren or explosion, residents should go to the closest protected area within a minute and a half and close all doors and windows and stay indoors for 10 minutes. All residents are asked to continue to listen to instructions from the Home Front Command. As of now, all municipal events will take place as scheduled.

The Home Front Command has followed that decision up now by issuing a directive that public shelters in the Sharon area, the city of Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem, and the communties of Israel's coastal plain be opened up.

Ynet says a residence in the Jerusalem area's Mateh Yehuda region suffered a hit in the past hour's attack. More details when we have them.