UPDATED: IAF Bombs Terrorists in Rafiah and Central Gaza
The IAF bombed terrorist targets in Rafiah and central Gaza after terrorists fired a Grad rocket on Ashkelon.

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu, Arutz Sheva
February 3, 2009

The Israel Air Force bombed terrorist targets in Rafiah and central Gaza Tuesday evening after terrorists fired a Grad rocket on Ashkelon in the morning.

Aerial missiles struck one car occupied by terrorists in Rafiah, smuggling tunnels in the area and a Hamas base near Khan Yunis in south-central Gaza, next to the sites of Jewish communities that the government destroyed more than three years ago.

The strike came a short time after Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Herzliya Conference that Israel would not allow rocket attacks on Israel to go unanswered. "There is a necessity to retaliate, and we have to do so. If we have to strike stronger, we will do so," he declared.

"As we speak now, the Air Force is acting in Gaza."

The IDF earlier in the day warned Rafiah residents, through automatic telephone messages, to stay clear of areas used by terrorists. Previous aerial attacks have concentrated on smuggling tunnels, Hamas outposts and weapons depots.

Earlier: IDF Warns Rafiah of Imminent Aerial Retaliation
Residents of the Gaza-Egyptian border city of Rafiah were warned by automated calls from the IDF to flee their homes.

Residents of the Gaza-Egyptian border city of Rafiah were warned Tuesday by automated calls from the IDF to flee their homes in advance of a planned air strike by Israeli pilots.

The expected strike will be in response to a Grad rocket attack on Ashkelon by Gaza terrorists earlier in the day that left one woman suffering shrapnel wounds and three others severely traumatized. A city bus and several cars were also damaged in the attack, which occurred at around 7:00 a.m. Tuesday.

According to local residents who received the calls, the recorded message, delivered in Arabic, said "People who work in tunnels, who live near them, or who are giving logistical assistance to terrorists, should evacuate the area immediately."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the IDF to retaliate against Hamas and allied terrorist targets.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned Tuesday morning during a visit to the IDF Northern Command army base that if terrorists in Gaza have not yet learned to respect the ceasefire through Israel's prior military actions, the IDF will do what is needed to reinforce the lesson.

"If things are quiet, they will be accepted quietly," Barak said. "If another blow is needed, even if it is a harder one, it will come in the right form and at the right time," he added.

Photos from Grad rocket strike today on Ashkelon: