An Israeli military source reported on Sunday that Palestinian resistance fired homemade shells at Sderot and Ashkelon, no damage or injuries were reported as the shells landed in open areas.

One Qassam homemade shell landed on Sunday afternoon in an open area close to Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, south of Ashkelon, army source said.  
 
The “Red Dawn” alert system installed in the area identified the launching of the shell; army dispatched sappers instantly and attempted to pinpoint the landing zone of the shell.    
 
Ashkelon (Asqalan) is an area of several infrastructure sites, power station, a large desalination plant, an oil pipeline, and many factories, Israeli online daily Ynetnews reported.
 
Israeli security officials expressed concerns that the firing of homemade shells will increase against the area, and that shells range could “threaten to damage sensitive sites”.  
 
Last week, one shell landed the Ashkelon’s southern industrial zone; several shells were fired at settlements in the western Negev.
 
Eli Moyal, Sderot mayor, said earlier on Sunday that the Israeli government is powerless in handling Qassam homemade shells.
 
Meanwhile, senior Israeli military sources said that the army is not preparing for a ground military operation in the Gaza Strip, especially ahead of the January 2006 Legislative elections.
 
The Israeli army shelled overnight and Sunday at dawn several Palestinian areas using heavy artillery and tank shells, four residents died of shock and anxiety attack, dozens of women and children were transferred to hospitals, including psychiatric hospitals and clinics, after the army pounded the residential areas in Gaza.