On Sunday night, December 22, Chabad House of Sderot celebrated the first night of Channukah, thanking G-d for a very recent miracle. Only a few days before, a Qassam rocket fell a few meters away from the Chabad House, miraculously causing no damage or injuries.
Sderot Chabad House director, Rabbi Pizem spoke about the miracle and its connection to the celebration of Channukah.
“We are standing here, where only a few days ago, a Qassam rocket fell a few meters away. It was a great miracle and symbolizes the message of Channukah, where we light the candles and recite the blessing thanking G-d for miraculously saving our forefathers during these days. We are here to show our faith in G-d, that the nation of Israel will not give up and will not be not afraid.
We anticipate in the spirit of the Hashmonaim and Macabees, who were victorious against all odds, that the nation of Israel shall be victorious and that this candle light will light the hearts of all of us including the leaders of Israel–that we may defeat our enemies quickly.”
Five Palestinian rockets were fired at the western Negev today. A senior Hamas official, Ayman Taha, stated today that Hamas would be withholding rocket fire against Israel throughout Monday, in light of Egyptian mediators who asked Hamas to halt rockets in a 24-hour truce. Despite, the so-called ‘truce’, which began Sunday evening, December 21, two Qassam rockets were fired into Israel in the afternoon, with one landing in the Eshkol Regional Council and the other in Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council. No damages or injuries were reported. However, according to Ynet, sources in Gaza stated that weather conditions were preventing Palestinian terrorists from launching rockets at Israel.
A report in today’s Haaretz.com also contradicts Hamas’s Taha’s statement. According to Ha’aretz, an Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Hamas’ declaration that the truce was being held upon Cairo’s request was “not true at all.”
In addition, the Ha’aretz report stated that Hamas spokesman Taher al Nunu told Reuters that “Hamas and other factions agreed [to a one-day truce] in order to give a chance to the Egyptian mediation and to show that the problem was always on the Israeli side.”
