The pre-Sabbath peace in Kibbutz Kfar Aza was shattered when a mortar bomb struck the front yard of Jimmy Kedoshim's house. Kedoshim, who was working in the garden, was killed instantly. His wife, Anna, who had gone inside the house a little while before, was spared. The kibbutznik, who had lived in Kfar Aza since 1974, left three children, Eyal, Shaked and Stav.
Kedoshim's oldest son, Eyal, said of his father, "Abba (father) died happy. The only thing in life that interested him was his family, and everything he did for the sake of the family was done with a lot of love, openness and cooperation with Ima (mother) and with us, his children."
This is the first death caused by mortar fire since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. A second mortar shell exploded next to the kibbutz community hall, wounding three people, including an IDF soldier who sustained moderate injuries.
Over the weekend, terrorists launched 21 Kassam rockets at the western Negev, five falling in Sderot. A total of five people were lightly wounded, mostly by flying shrapnel, and at least that many suffered emotional shock.
One of the Kassams exploded close to an apartment building, causing serious damage to the structure and several nearby buildings. The attack also caused a dangerous gas leak. Miraculously, no one was physically injured although a number of people suffered emotional trauma.
In another miracle earlier in the day, a Kassam rocket scored a direct hit on a house while family members were inside - and, although the home was damaged, no one was physically injured. The family will be temporarily housed in a hotel in Ashkelon.
A Kassam also slammed into the courtyard of Sapir College on the outskirts of the city and damaged a building. Another rocket exploded next to a yeshiva in Sderot. There too, the building was damaged but no one was hurt.