CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - A ministerial committee chaired by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert allocated a $97-million package to fortify 3,600 homes within a three-mile range of the Gaza Strip.

Each of the homes will be provided with a bomb shelter to protect residents from Kassam rockets launched by Gaza-based Palestinians.

Eventually some 8,000 homes along the border with Gaza will be reinforced, but the initial funding will be used for homes considered more vulnerable because of their structure and location.

Meanwhile on Sunday evening, a Kassam rocket landed in an area that had never experienced a direct hit till now.

"We are pretty used to hearing blasts and explosions coming from the Sderot area," a resident said, "and we can even hear the many Color Red [warning siren] alerts, and we don't usually get overly excited about the explosions."

But the chairman of the community's executive committee said while the new homes have a fortified room, the bomb shelters in many of the older homes are inadequate.

Sources: The Jerusalem Post, YNet news service