Map: Gaza missiles inch closer to Tel Aviv

Thursday, March 24, 2011 | Ryan Jones

Gaza-based Palestinian terrorists again escalated their confrontation with Israel on Thursday when they fired foreign-built missiles at towns just 10 miles south of the heavily-populated Tel Aviv metropolitan region.

Eight missiles fired from Gaza landed in or near the port city of Ashdod and a number of central Israel towns, including Rishon Lezion and Yavne.

Israeli responded with tank fire into Gaza. A Hamas facility in Gaza City was destroyed by the retaliatory barrage. Israeli aircraft also attacked terrorist cells attempting to launch additional missiles into Israel.

Thursday’s back-and-forth was a continuation of the escalating war between southern Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza. The situation began to spiral out of control over the weekend, when Hamas-allied terrorists fired more than 50 mortar shells and rockets into southern Israel.

Israel has responded hard to the provocative attacks. Israeli retaliatory strikes on Tuesday killed nine Palestinians, including four civilians, whom the terrorists were using as a human shield. Many others were wounded.

In a demonstration proving that it is not Israel’s intent to harm Palestinian civilians, an eight-year-old Gaza boy wounded in Tuesday’s exchange was rushed to an Israeli hospital for emergency treatment.

Map shows range missiles are traveling from Gaza to Ashdod (30 km) and Rishon Lezion (50 km):