The crowd was estimated at more than 10,000, Haaretz reported. Many took groceries and other supplies for Sderot residents.

"This is one big carnival," Ilan Cohen, who helped organize the demonstration, told Army Radio. "Thousands of people are on their way; 500 vehicles have departed from Tel Aviv. I'm urging everyone who can to come down here. We have all sorts of people."

Israeli forces aimed their own missile strike at Gaza on Thursday night, the Jerusalem Post reported. Palestinian sources told the newspaper that two Islamic Jihad fighters were killed and one wounded. They were described as members of the Al Quds Brigade, Islamic Jihad's military arm.

Two Qassam rockets fired at Sderot landed in a field Friday morning without doing any damage.