http://debka.com/article/22535/Jerusalem-takes-two-Gaza-missiles-after-two-land-in-Tel-Aviv-No-casualties

TWO ROCKETS LANDED NORTH OF JERUSALEM AND AT ITS NORTHERN EDGE FRIDAY, NOV. 16, SHORTLY AFTER TWO FAJR ROCKETS EXPLODED  IN TEL AVIV. ALL FOUR LANDED ON OPEN GROUND AND CAUSED NO CASUALTIES. THE SIREN WAS ALSO HEARD IN JERUSALEM’S OUTLYING TOWNS: MEVASERET ZION, MOTZA ILIT, BEITAR ILIT, KIBBUTZ MAALEH HAHAMISHA, ORA AND HAR ADAR. HAMAS CLAIMED THE ATTACK ON JERUSALEM WHICH IS ROUGHLY 85 KILOMETERS FROM THE GAZA STRIP. ISRAELI GROUND FORCES CONTINUE TO STAND BY ON THE GAZA BORDER AWAITING GOVERNMENT ORDERS TO GO IN.

DEBKAfile reported earflier Friday: As Hamas government officials greeted Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil on his arrival for a short visit to the Gaza Strip, Friday morning, Nov. 16, Palestinian rocket crews stepped up their barrage against Israel. After Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu acceded to Cairo’s request to suspend military action for the visit, air strikes were resumed over northern Gaza to counter Palestinians fire across the South: Dozens of rockets exploded in Beersheba, Ashdod, Hof Ashkelon, Ashkelon, Shear Hanegev, Ofakim, Sderot, Eshkol and Kiryat Malachi. There were several panic victims and direct hits to houses.

Thursday night, long-range Fajr rockets exploded in Greater Tel Aviv region, Israel’s urban and commercial heartland (3 million population) – two landing near Bat Yam or the sea and one or two between Rishon Lezion and Palmachim.

IDF armored, artillery and mechanized infantry units continued to stream to the Gaza border Thursday and Friday, gathering at jumping-off positions for crossing into the enclave in the next stage of the operation. Reservists are reporting for duty on the orders the defense minister issued for 30,000 call-ups. They are reporting at schools in various towns which were converted to registration stations.

Schools in the heavily battered south remain closed indefinitely and all locations within 40 kilometers stay on emergency footing for rocket attacks.

The IDF is rushing forward the completion of the fifth Iron Dome battery after the first four stopped some 150 incoming rockets in the last 48 hours.

Our sources report that Thursday, some international airlines cancelled flights to Israel. International airline officials told DEBKAfile that security in central Israel is uncertain after Palestinian rockets from Gaza reached the Tel Aviv area. They fear Ben Gurion international airport at Lod may be next.

The sources noted that the landing of a rocket in the sea off Bat Yam posed a serious aviation hazard because it occurred under the flight path of passenger planes bound for and departing Israel. Intense Israeli Air Force activity over Gaza was making commercial flights additionally “hazardous if not impossible,” they said.

 Air France was the first to reschedule flights and advise passengers to call in before setting out for their airport of departure.

Also on Thursday, the US embassy in Tel Aviv advised its nationals and staff to avoid non-essential travel to southern Israel and the children of staff to stay home from their schools in the Tel Aviv area.

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Conflict_on_the_Gaza_Strip

LIVE COVERAGE OF THE EVOLVING WW3

Defence Minister Ehud Barak has approved the request of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to widen the draft of army reservists to more than 30,000. On Friday morning, the IDF General Staff approved an initial draft of 16,000 army reservists.I see a ground invasion comming up...just like in 2008.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/live-blog-rockets-slam-into-israel-s-south-in-third-day-of-idf-operation-in-gaza-1.478193

5:35 P.M. For first time since 1970, rocket fired at Jerusalem, lands in open area in Gush Etzion, directly south of Jerusalem; no casualties (Haaretz)

5:01 P.M. Hamas claims it fired at the Knesset. Residents report sounds of explosion in the Jerusalem area (Haaretz)

4:50 P.M.  Alarm sounds in Jerusalem area (Haaretz)

4:40 P.M. Iron Dome intercepts rocket volley toward Be'er Tuvia and Kiryat Malakhi (Haaretz)

4:25 P.M. Egypt's Morsi: "The new Egypt is completely different, and determined to stop the attack on Gaza" (Avi Issacharoff)

4:04 P.M. IDF Spokesman: Air force conducted more than 600 strikes in Gaza (Haaretz)

Airstrikes in Beit Lahia, north Gaza, north Gaza City, and now an airstrike in Rafah in the southern Gaza strip.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20365074

Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip have launched a rocket on Jerusalem - the first time the holy city has been targeted from Gaza.

Israel Army radio said the missile landed just outside the city - and there are no reported casualties. An earlier missile targeted Tel Aviv.

It comes amid mounting violence, following Israel's killing of Hamas's military chief on Wednesday.

Egypt's leader has vowed to back Gaza in the face of "blatant aggression".

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/hamas-launches-rocket-attack-on-jerusalem-as-pressure-mounts-on-netanyahu-to-launch-ground-invasion-8322593.html

The targeting of Jerusalem followed a second day of rocket attacks by Gaza militants on southern Israel, as the Israeli Defence Force began mobilising thousands of its reserve troops, in preparation for a potential ground invasion.

Tanks - which usually lead Israeli incursions - along with troops were reported to be gathering near the Gaza border.

The rockets fired at Jerusalem and other Israeli cities, including the commercial capital Tel Aviv, followed a ratcheting up of strikes on Gaza by the Israeli military.

Sources said that more than 600 targets in the Palestinian enclave had been hit by last night, up from 225 on Thursday evening.

Sirens sounded repeatedly across southern Israel as more than 70 rockets were aimed at Ashdod, Ashkelon and Beersheba after an overnight lull that ended just before seven o’clock in the morning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his advisers in the heavily-fortified Kirya government compound in Tel Aviv to discuss the unexpected entry of Israel’s most populated region into the area of conflict, which first came under fire on Thursday.

“We did not choose to escalate the situation in the south, it was a decision of the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the terror groups,” Mr Netanyahu said. “We are ready to expand the operation as necessary in a significant manner.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGiqd1MrLOI

'Good timing for Israel 'monopoly of force' in Gaza'

Hamas fighters are no match for the Israeli military. The last Gaza war, involving a three-week long Israeli air blitz and ground invasion over the New Year period of 2008-2009, killed more than 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Thirteen Israelis died.