A Grad rocket destroyed this kindergarten classroom in Beersheva, Israel on Dec. 31, 2008. Photo: Avi Ohayon/GPO.

JNS.org – A barrage of 13 rockets from Gaza pounded Israel’s southern communities on Thursday. Overnight and in the early morning hours, six rockets hit the city of Sderot alone, with three of those rockets hitting houses in the city. No injuries were reported, but the blasts caused extensive property damage.

In response, the Israeli Air Force bombed 15 targets in Gaza. In the morning hours, the Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted two rockets headed for the city of Netivot, Israel Hayom reported.

At around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, the early warning alarm sounded in Sderot, followed by a salvo of three rockets. One of the rockets penetrated the wall of the second story of a building. On the first floor of the same building, a day care teacher and five infants in her care scrambled to the nearest protected area, narrowly evading tragedy.

More than 30 Gaza rockets were fired at Israel over a 24-hour period from Wednesday to Thursday. The majority of the rockets were fired Wednesday afternoon.