Kassams continue to rain down on western Negev

[henank]

Kassam rockets continued to rain down on Sderot on Wednesday morning after Tuesday's barrage left at least 18 people wounded and prompted the IDF to declare a harsh response.

Three rockets landed near the western Negev town and another four landed south of Ashkelon on Wednesday morning, bringing the 24-hour total close to 30. One of the rockets landed next to a kibbutz football pitch while the other six hit open areas. No one was wounded in the latest attacks.

Sderot schools were closed out of concern that there were more rocket attacks to come and the Home Front Command was ordered to increase its assistance to the town and to Israeli communities on the Gaza periphery, Israel Radio reported.


Jerusalem Post

[henank]

1. Mother and son injured in the first salvo

In yesterday's first barrage an elementary school and a house took direct hits. In the house, a mother was badly hurt with head injuries, and her 3 children lightly injured too.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3400409,00.html">Ynet

On a day plagued with Israeli casualties, Qassam rockets did not stop raining on Sderot and the vicinity. Late Tuesday night, eight Qassams landed in the region, in three separate salvos, with two more rockets landing just after midnight Wednesday.

No one was injured in the latest barrages, but earlier rockets wreaked havoc. Tuesday evening, a Sderot resident was seriously wounded after a Qassam rocket launched from Gaza slammed into her house. Her young son was moderately wounded.

Thirteen rockets landed in the vicinity of Sderot during this attack, causing no other injuries but substantial damage to an elementary school.

Less than an hour after the first attack terror groups launched five additional rockets from Gaza, directly hitting a second house in the city. The house was damaged but no injuries were reported. A third rocket landed in the city's commercial center and damaged several stores.

An additional Qassam hit a low-voltage powerline, causing a temporary black-out. Residents said the barrage was one of the worst in a long time.

Later in the evening Palestinians also fired two mortar shells at a kibbutz in the western Negev, no injuries or damage were reported and officials said the shells landed in an open field.

[oberliner]

2. Palestinian militants resume Qassam fire on western Negev

Qassam rocket firing resumed Wednesday morning when Palestinian militants fired four Qassam rockets to the western Negev. No injuries or damage were reported. One of the Qassams landed near a kibbutz in the Ashkelon Coast regional council, while two others fell north of Sderot.

The early morning attack follows Tuesday's barrage of at least 21 Qassam rockets to the area.

However, Israel has decided to refrain from immediately responding to Tuesday's rocket attacks, government sources said Tuesday.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/860045.html

[henank]

3. Tally rising

The number has gone up to 7 rockets now. We can keep a tally all day and see if it breaks any kind of record.

BTW sorry for posting a similar subject straight after you. I didn't see your post till after I posted this. Hope I didn't tread on any toes...

[nealmhughes]

4. And yesterday Bertie Ahern addressed a joint session of the Westminster Paliament and praised both

Eire and the UK for a new joint prosperity and shared values in both states.
Maybe one day soon the PM of the PA can address the Knesset and the PM of Israel address the PA Parliament with the same message.
How was Ahern able to do this? By Eire's definite sea change on violence.
By Westminster's definite sea change on repression and martial law.

[sabbat hunter]

5. glad to see

the cease fire is in full effect </sarcasm>

[Eugene]

6. Israel attacks in Gaza amid factional violence

Source: Reuters

Israel attacks in Gaza amid factional violence

By Nidal al-Mughrabi
45 minutes ago

GAZA (Reuters) - At least 16 Palestinians were killed in fierce
factional fighting in Gaza on Wednesday and Israel went into action
with an air strike on a Hamas compound that killed at least four
gunmen.

-snip-

The Israeli air strike flattened a building used by Hamas's Executive
Force, but the army said the attack was not connected to internal
fighting that has pushed the Palestinians closer to all-out civil war.

-snip-

Israel has reserved the right to respond to rocket fire and the army
said the Hamas building was targeted because it was a command
centre used to plan such attacks.

The Executive Force, which has taken a lead in internal fighting
between ruling Hamas Islamists and secular Fatah, denied the
building was used to plan rocket attacks and said the air strike
was proof that Israel was taking sides.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070516/ts_nm/palestinians_dc

[barb162]

7. When Israel responds, there will be great wringing of hands.

Tjhough Israel has been holding back to a great extent over these constant and almost daily attacks on its nation.

[breakaleg]

8. The hand wringing won't be because they responded at all, but rather the method they choose. nt

[barb162]

9. Maybe you should look at the methods the Palestinians use

Rocket attacks on innocent people, suicide attacks on innocent people, etc.

[henank]

10. Is there a method that you think would be acceptable?

Targeting a Hamas headquarters is apparently unacceptable to you though I can't imagine why since it is the HQ of those who are shooting rockets at Israel.

Perhaps a more "proportionate" response? How about Israel shoots back 30 or so rockets at Gaza civilians in return for the 30 they fired at Sderot? Oh, wait, that's certainly unacceptable.

How about a ground invasion? Tank fire? Carpet bombing from the air?

[barb162]

11. May I ask where you read this into what I wrote?

"Targeting a Hamas headquarters is apparently unacceptable to you.... "

Actually it isn't.

Look , war is ugly and I think as long as you have militants hiding in a populated area, you can't sit on your hands and allow them to keep shooting at you. You have to try to knock them out before they take you out.

[Phx_Dem]

16. I think henank was responding to breakaleg.

:hi:

[barb162]

20. Hi there!

Thanks for mentioning that

[henank]

17. Phx Dem was right

I was replying to Breakaleg. I think you and I are on the same side on this :-)

[barb162]

22. Yep

and welcome to DU

[barb162]

21. Sorry for responding.

Thought you were "talking" to me.

[pelsar]

12. and the approved method is?

this is usually where the response is........nothing

the real answer is that whatever israel does will be defined as a war crime except for one:

letting the kassams terrorize and kill israelis....

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pelsar]

14. gaza has been quite the eye opener....

we've got palestenians shooting at israeli cities, shooting at ambulances, journalists, unarmed protestors, civilians.....just about every accusation leveled at israel the palestenians are now doing....and it sure seems quiet on the " human rights violations" dept.....i wonder why is that?


i'll bet any israeli response will be declared a "war crime" or immoral.....leaving just one simply conclusion:

it is morally more acceptable to kill israelis than to stop the killers...and palestenians violating all those human rights just doesnt seem to matter a whole lot.....

[barb162]

15. Gaza certainly is an eye-opener, especially the current events.

All of the human rights violations going on there right now, the killings, the street fighting in the "civil war" and the kidnappings, etc. Where's all the outrage by the anti-Israelis over the Palestinian- on- Palestinian killings going on right now? The Palestinian factions are committing war crimes against each other.
Look at these pictures:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6662577.stm

(Looks like a war to me)

The second to last picture shows the inside of Fatah security chief Rashid Abu Shbak's home. It is very lavish and very unlike a refugee camp.

[breakaleg]

18. Where are the "anti-Israelis", I'd really like to know. And are you equating killing innocent

children with blades of grass? Your compassion is overwhelming.

[pelsar]

19. actually were waiting for your suggestion...

seems any israeli response to the kassams you seem to feel is some kind of "war crime"....so many of us have been wondering other than waiting to be killed if you actually have a real suggestion to the israelis being fired upon....or to the IDF or the govt to actually stop the kassams...

or perhaps you feel that given the limitations of technology the best course of action for the israeli govt is to let the kassam shooters "shoot in peace" and not bother them

[barb162]

23. I don't know where you get innocent kids and blades of grass

are somehow equal. I was "talking" about going after militants shooting rockets into Israel and Israel's right to defend itself against these attacks. Compassion for innocent people hurt on both sides of the conflict is germane. Self-defense is also germane to the discussion. Your compassion, I'm guessing, is also overwhelming (as much as you are guessing about mine).