Five rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza Tuesday evening. Two of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system before they could explode in populated areas. One of the rockets fell short and exploded in a Palestinian home in Gaza. The blast from that rocket killed a three-year-old girl and injured her mother along with other family members. Another rocket landed in southern Israel causing damage to a building but no injuries.

As the search for the three abducted teens continues, rockets fired from Gaza by Palestinian terrorists bombard Israel on an almost daily basis:

“Over 20 rockets have been fired at Israel since Operation Brother’s Keeper… over 200 have been fired since the beginning of the year.”

Contrary to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ claim that the unity government meets international standards which includes the rejection of violence, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal gave a speech supporting the rocket attacks and the recent abduction of three Israeli teens saying:

“If the missing Israelis turn out to have been captured, their kidnapping would be a logical and natural reaction to the violations of occupation forces… We support every resistance attack against the Israeli occupation, which has to pay for its tyranny.”

Hamas Political Bureau member Khalil Al-Hayya recently said reiterated Hamas’ rejection of the peace process and its embrace of armed conflict, saying:

“Hamas and its Brigades (the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing), will continue to dig tunnels, build rockets and cross seas until it defeats the enemy… We will continue on the path of Jihad and Martyrdom (Shahada). O children of the resistance, O Al-Qassam [Brigades], this is the only way; march forward, [until] either victory or martyrdom.”

Hamas has failed to meet the American and Quartet conditions to “recognize the state of Israel, disavow terror and accept all previous agreements between the state of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.”

[Photo: IDF Blog Photo]