Confirmed: 3 rockets in Ashdod. Trying to figure out how far it is from the Strip. Edit: 35 kms.

C'mon, sis. Bring your rocket-preventing-mojo. I'm sure she's preventing a hell lot of launches at the moment.

They're also gonna extend Hanukkah's school holiday in the Gaza surrounding area.

kindda hard to avoid

Yeah, kinda what I meant, with the tiny waist and all.

And Laga, thanks.

I appreciate the updates, too. I am very worried. A few years ago when Lebanon and Israel were at "war" (I don't know if it was ever officially declared), there was an absolutely inspiring and fascinating thread on another board I used to frequent (back when I traveled a lot), flyertalk.com. There was a poster who was Lebanese and one who was Israeli, and they had been planning a face-to-face when the fighting started. So there was this incredibly touching thread where we watched two people on opposite sides of the conflict remind us all of their humanity and love and respect in the face of atrocity. The thread even made the New York Times.

Now I am reminded of it because I have never felt close to war as when my loved ones are in the middle of it. And you're our loved ones and it's scary.

Update:

Israel attacked Hamas government offices. Mash'al calls to third intifada (umm. Please no?). Abu Mazen calls to talking (please yes!). More rockets launches towards Israel.

Update: IDF says people in Be'er Sheva, Yanve and Gedera have to make sure they have safe/secured rooms in their homes (I have no idea how to translated it - Nilly? - it's a more secured room in case of getting hit).

My parents house is miles away, but I wonder what's our secured room. Ever since I moved south, I can't recall any home with secured room. I have a shelter in my building in Jerusalem - I think it's ready in case of, too. Though there will be no interwebs there, which is a major downside.

Edit: more update: rocket in Ashkelon, now 40km from the Strip. I think one of the rockets in Ashdod hit a power station - they're reporting there are blackouts in Israel, and that there is a failure in Ashdod power station. I hope it's not a rocket.

Also, I'm not sure what is happening with the dead Fatah prisoners in Gaza Strip.

Update #3: I heard jet planes over my house. Nothing on the news yet. Riots in East Jerusalem, causing police closing roads.

Nilly and Shir, Thank you for updates. I am so sorry that you have to experience any of this. Many thoughts of safety to you both.

javachik, I marked your link. Even only from your description, it reads like such a lovely story, over such a difficult background.

safe/secured rooms

Shir, sorry, I can't help you with a better translation for these words. It's pretty literal, IMHO.

safe/secured rooms

I checked the Home Front Command site - they call it secure space.

Their name sounds very wrong in English.

Also in "things that are wrong": Nilly, the "Case Lead" name - I still can't get over it.

I laughed at first. Now it just feels like they're violating my favorite holiday. Not that it felt like one the past couple of days.

Their name sounds very wrong in English.

I'll stick to "secure room", if that's OK with you, thank you very much.

"Case Lead"

For the non-Hebrew-speakers and non-Hebrew-Hanukkah-songs-singers among us, the "cast lead" name is taken from a children's Hanukkah song, about the things prepared for the holiday - the mom makes latkes, the dad brings a dreidle (sp?) made of cast lead, and so forth.

And, yes, it's connecting two things that really shouldn't go together.