Monthly Archives: May 2007

-- Israeli security officials have confirmed to the Middle East Newsline that Palestinian armed forces have been extending the range of their missiles to achieve a missile range of 25 kilometers, which would enable Palestinian strikes against major cities in Israel in an effort to strike much of southern Israel. Hamas and Islamic Jihad were improving their indigenous missiles in cooperation with Iran and Hezbollah--DF Arrests Top Hamas Leaders--U.S. 'Concerned' By Arrests

Israel is reflexively reacting to Hamas and is basically following the latter's script, without any policy or goals of its own.Also detailed:-U.S. Endorses Abbas-Hamas Vows To Target Ashkelon-Israel Government Wanton Neglect Of Shelters In South

The timing of the attack coincided with the preplanned visit to Sderot of Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, who accompanied European Union envoy Javier Solana to a meeting at the Sderot municipality, where Livni had announced earlier in the day that she wanted to acquaint Solana with the human implications of the missile attacks on Sderot.

It can now be revealed that Hamas demanded that Israel release dozens of Israeli Arab convicts who are imprisoned for security offenses in exchange for the release of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit, who was captured last June by Palestinians. Israel summarily rejected the demand to release Israeli Arab security convicts.

Chronicle of the weekend and eye-witness reports from the scenes of incessant rocket fire in Sderot.

Replacing names of Jewish educational institutions in Philadelphia with names of donors is not a new phenomenon. The Moses Dropsie College was renamed for Walter Annenberg, while the Solomon Schechter school has been renamed the Raymond and Ruth Perelman.

A source in the prime minister's office did say to the leading Israeli newspaper, Yediot Ahronot, that in the event of continued rocket fire, the prime minister may authorize attacks targeting Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. However, no large-scale incursion into the Gaza Strip has yet been announced despite Hamas' efforts to bring Israel into its conflict.

Hamas, the ruling faction of the Palestinian Authority government, took credit last night for firing 21 missiles into Sderot, the main city of Israel's Western Negev southern region.