17 Qassam rockets strike Negev; IDF suspends air strikes in Gaza

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Seventeen Qassam rockets struck the western Negev yesterday, but the Israel Defense Forces conducted no aerial strikes on the Gaza Strip for the first time in more than a week.

Three of the rockets hit Sderot, with one landing as Defense Minister Amir Peretz turned out in his hometown to vote in the Labor Party primary.

Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of Oshri Oz in Petah Tikva yesterday. Oz, 36, of Hod Hasharon, was killed in a Qassam attack on Sderot on Sunday.

The rockets that hit Sderot fell in open areas, lightly injuring one resident and causing five others to suffer from shock. Another rocket sparked a fire when it hit a wheat field near Kibbutz Miflasim. Seven other rockets landed in open fields near communities in the western Negev.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages//864464.html

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1. Rockets hit while defense minister casts his vote

The entrance to Sderot's polling station for the Labor primaries was graced yesterday with the presence of the son of Labor Chair and Defense Minister Amir Peretz, Matan Peretz. He sat with the father of Peretz's wounded bodyguard, who lost both legs last November when a Qassam rocket landed near Peretz's home.

The father came to the polling station to voice his support for Peretz. He was asked why the people of Sderot should vote for Peretz. "What do you mean, why? He's from our hometown!" he exclaimed. An angry elderly man responded, "So what? What has he done for us?" he inveighed against the defense minister, accusing Peretz of various omissions. Son Matan came to his father's defense. "It's not easy up there," he explained.

Sderot is home to 1,500 registered members of Labor. Peretz came to vote accompanied by his wife Ahlama, his daughter Shani and his two sons, Ohad and Matan. He was greeted by several residents, all party activists, who affectionately shook his hand.

Some 60 seconds after Peretz had cast his vote, the Color Red alarm went off, warning against Qassam rockets. Peretz's bodyguards huddled around him while the rest of the people there sought shelter inside the building. Two rockets slammed into the city - one hit the cemetery and the other hit a nearby horse ranch.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/864468.html

[azurnoir]

2. WTF???

So yesterday we have this
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x175857
And today????? Don't think "reverse psychology" is going to work either.

Was this a Cheney in Afghanistan moment?

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4. I tend to notice incoherence too, that's sort of why I posted it.

That and Peretz getting shelled while voting.

[henank]

3. I am very surprised at the Haaretz article

especially considering this JPost item from today (Wednesday morning):

Two Palestinian operatives were killed late Tuesday night in an IAF airstrike on a rocket-launching crew, Palestinian security officials said.

Hamas radio said the two dead belonged to its military wing.

The IDF said it had attacked a group of armed men in the area of the Jebalya refugee camp, but gave no further details.