The Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says he has ordered Israel's defence minister to take all necessary steps against Palestinian militants after they fired a rocket into a large Israeli city for the first time.
The rocket strike into Ashkelon caused no damage or casualties.
In an initial response, 10 Israeli armoured vehicles entered an area of the northern Gaza Strip from which the rocket was fired and began levelling trees and brush to deprive militant rocket squads of cover.


















