Residents of Beersheba neighborhood hit by rocket fume after discovering public bomb shelters locked at 5:30 am. ´People waited outside with children, we have been abandoned to our fate,´ says resident

A 56-year old man was lightly injured early Wednesday morning when a Grad rocket fired from Gaza exploded in Beersheba.

The man was hit by glass shards from a pane that shattered from the explosion. Three people also sustained shock, and infrastructure was damaged.

The Islamic Jihad movement claimed responsibility for the Grad rocket fired at Beersheba. In a statement issued by the organization they said: "It´s an initial reaction to the Zionist crimes against our people in Gaza."

The old buildings in the neighborhood in which the rocket fell at 5:30 am are not equipped with bomb shelters. Residents had to leave their homes in order to seek shelter, and were infuriated to discover that many of the bomb shelters were locked.

"People waited outside with small children," Narkis Sasson, who resides in the neighborhood, told Ynet. "We have been abandoned to our fate."

"This time it hit a road but next time it will hit someone. There is no public security," added Barry Shalit. "An entire neighborhood has been abandoned."

Beersheba Mayor Rubik Danilovich was present at the municipality´s operations room as police sappers removed the rocket from where it had hit.

"I told the prime minister three weeks ago that we cannot accept the trickle of fire, not only in Beersheba. Advertisement We do not want war but we believe the government should restore calm to the south, even at the expense of another operation. Roughly calculating, a rocket is fired every few weeks," he said.

The municipality also announced that school would be canceled in the city on Wednesday. However, Ben Gurion University has decided classes will go on according to schedule. (Copyright 2011 © Yedioth Internet 03/23/11)