From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Ministers say lightning to blame for Gaza rocket fire on Beersheba
Israeli officials now believe that a rocket shot from Gaza that hit a house in Beersheba last week and nearly started a major round of hostilities was accidental, ministers say.
A report in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily says that the high-level security cabinet has accepted the explanation that two Grad rockets shot from the Strip early last Wednesday morning were caused by lightning.
טוב, כל מי שצחק אתמול, שיתנצל מיד בפני @shimritmeir המדהימה. ההערכה, גם בצד העזתי וגם אצלנו, היא שיש סבירות גבוהה לכך שפגיעת ברק הפעילה את הרקטות שהיו דרוכות ומוכנות לשיגור בשלישי בלילה. בקבינט הועברו על זה לא מעט בדיחות pic.twitter.com/p2cyPinDRp
— Ben Caspit בן כספית (@BenCaspit) October 18, 2018
“It would not have been right to go to war over the weather,” an unnamed minister tells the paper.
Asked about the report, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked tells Israel Radio that while she can’t confirm it was the weather, “based on what we know, Hamas did not mean to shoot the rockets.”
The Times of Israel Community.