Well, after a couple of days of relative quiet, Hezbollah hit Israel with a record 210 rockets on Wednesday. An Israeli-American man was killed.
NAHARIYA, Israel – Hezbollah rockets struck Israel in record numbers and deeper than ever Wednesday, pushing the three-week total over the 2,000 mark and killing a Boston-born man fleeing on his bicycle toward shelter.
The barrage, which followed a two-day lull, came despite the Israeli army chief's claim that the offensive in south Lebanon had eroded Hezbollah's firepower. Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz also threatened to resume air raids against the Lebanese capital.
One missile fell near the Palestinian town of Jenin, leaving a 6-foot crater in a rural area of the West Bank. It caused no casualties, and Palestinians said the mistake would not change their support for Hezbollah.
Rockets also landed near the town of Beit Shean, about 45 miles from the border — the deepest penetration so far. Hezbollah's satellite TV network, Al-Manar, reported the guerrilla group used its longer-range Khaibar-1 missiles, which Israel says were supplied by Iran. The Khaibar rocket debuted last week when the town of Afula was targeted.
Police said at least 210 rockets hit Israel by Wednesday evening. The highest previous daily total was 157 on Sunday.
The relative quiet of Monday and Tuesday brought civilians onto the streets and beaches of northern Israel for the first time in weeks. But it ended hours after helicopter-borne commandos snatched what Israel said were five guerrillas from the Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek deep in eastern Lebanon.
The rocket fire killed a 52-year-old Israeli American in Kibbutz Saar, a communal farm near the coastal resort of Nahariya. It brought the Israeli death toll in the fighting to 55, including 19 civilians. The attacks Wednesday also wounded 21 people.
A very bad day, indeed.
