Rocket sirens sound in southern Israel; IDF reports false alarm
Siren heard in Gaza-border towns and in the city of Sderot; no known casualties or damage; Iron Dome reportedly activated; IDF says 'incident under investigation'
Rocket sirens sounded in southern Israel Wednesday, after rockets were allegedly shot from the Gaza Strip at border-neighboring towns. IDF reported no projectiles were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Rocket sirens went off at 18:16, while hundreds of children and their parents gathered at a local community center in the southern city of Sderot, waiting for a concert. The sirens lead to wide spread panic and the concert was cancelled.
Community Center Director Limor Cohen described the incident as a "mass hysteria".
"We just cannot believe that this has happened again. Children fainted and many suffer from trauma," said Cohen.
Civilians reported hearing explosions, probably from Iron Dome launches. The IDF said the sirens were a false alarm and there were no rockets fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip
Rocket sirens were also heard Wednesday night in Eshkol Regional Council. IDF reported the rocket didn't cross the Gaza border and landed in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
It is not the first time rocket sirens are heard during a mass event in Sderot. This August, rockets were shot at the southern city while some 4,000 people attended the Sderot Live Festival, creating mass hysteria.
