JERUSALEM — Two houses in southern Israel were hit by Hamas rockets during a voluntary Israeli humanitarian ceasefire.

Israel stopped fighting for three hours Monday, as it has daily for the last week, in order to allow Palestinian civilians to restock or change locations and to allow aid agencies to distribute goods during the 17th day of Operation Cast Lead. But Hamas continued to fire rockets at Israel during the lull, scoring direct hits on homes in Ashkelon and Sderot. No one was injured, though several people went into shock and the homes were badly damaged.

One rocket landed very close to an Ashkelon high school where students had returned and were holding classes in bomb shelters. Attendance at the school, however, was very low.  

At least 16 rockets have hit southern Israel since Monday morning. According to reports, the number of rocket and mortar strikes on southern Israel has significantly decreased since the start of the operation.

Reserve soldiers have been sent into Gaza, an indication that the operation may be widening.

Overnight, the air force hit four weapons storehouses located in the homes of Hamas operatives, two tunnels dug under the homes of Hamas operatives and a smuggling tunnel on Gaza’s border with Egypt, as well as one rocket launching position. Israel Defence Forces ground troops clashed with armed Hamas gunmen in the northern Gaza Strip.