Babies and toddlers asleep for their afternoon naps were rudely awakened and snatched from their beds as the Color Red rocket alert siren blared its warning Thursday for a second time.

Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists in northern Gaza aimed their Qassam rocket attack on Jewish communities in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council district. 

The area is located within the 10-kilometer range of the short-range missiles that have only a primitive directional mechanism The rocket exploded in an open field, and reportedly caused no property damage.

No one was physically injured, although as usual, those who suffer with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had symptoms triggered by the sudden blare of the siren and the need to race for cover.

People in the Eshkol Regional Council district were forced to make detours to safe spaces and bomb shelters on their way to work and school earlier in the day as they returned from their Chanukah vacations, when Gaza terrorists launched the first Qassam attack of the day on the region. As in the afternoon, the rocke exploded in an open area; no one was physically injured and no property damage was reported. 

Wednesday a similar attempt by Gaza terrorists resulted in a failed effort — the rocket did not explode on impact. There were also attacks on Sunday and Monday this week as well.

Residents of the Gaza Belt area — the section of southern Israel within the 10-kilometer range — have only 15 seconds within which to find a space space or reach their designated bomb shelter before a rocket fired from Gaza makes impact.

An IDF report, however, contends that hundreds of thousands of residents in southern Israel have little or no access to fortified spaces.

More than one million Israelis are currently exposed to the daily threat of short, medium and long-range rocket and missile attacks from Gaza.