(Reuters) Ori Lewis - Israeli police barred spectators from attending two Premier League matches in southern Israel on Saturday because of a fear of possible rocket strikes by Palestinians in Gaza. The cities of Beersheba, about 30 km from Gaza, and Ashdod, 15 km north of the Strip, have been hit in the past few days by rockets. The games were played in empty stadiums. Residents of southern Israel close to Gaza have been instructed to be ready to seek cover in air-raid shelters within seconds of sirens sounding. Two years of periodic, low-level skirmishing on the border escalated suddenly last month when Islamist Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza showered rockets on Israel.
2011-04-11 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive