Gaza Siege: Israel Records First Casualty, Calls Up 33,000 Reserve Brigade

July 11, 2014 – Rockets fired from Gaza by Hamas into Israel caused civilian casualty for the first time since the onslaught began few days back. Two other civilians were injured in Ashdod, said a police source.

This is coming even as Israeli government has called up 33,000 reserve soldiers to boost infantry brigades that are currently intensifying raids on Gaza.

So far casualty on the side of Palestine has hit 100, 21 of them children, United Nations Commission for Human Right has said.

Israel has already deployed three infantry brigades near the Gaza Strip border, army spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said on phone.

About 194 rockets have been launched at Israel in the past 24 hours, he said, adding that the “Iron Dome” defense system has a 90 percent success rate in intercepting them.

While pressure mount on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt plan for a ground offensive Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Hamas yesterday to stop rocket attacks on Israel to end the bloodshed.