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Jerusalem – Israeli army commanders of the two-day operation in the northern Gaza Strip take pride in the fact that during the operation in the Sajaiya neighborhood, not a single rocket was fired from there at Israel.
In that context, senior Israeli army sources admit that in order to put a complete stop to the rocket fire, it is necessary to stay in the Gaza Strip for a prolonged period of time or stage a sufficient number of operations to wear out the Palestinians.
After the troops pulled out, the rocket fire resumed, as has been the case many times following IDF operations. According to high-ranking commanders, the fire can be stopped completely only by means of a large number of continuous operations, which would wear down Palestinian capability and motivation.
Israeli Port City Of Ashdod Prepares For Hamas Attacks
Ashdod municipality officials are already preparing for the possibility that Ashdod, located north of Ashkelon, will be the next target for Hamas’ attacks. In the past few days, city officials have been preparing a defense plan, with the aid of the Home Front Command and other rescue organizations.
The Israeli security establishment is taking into account the possibility that Hamas has, or might have in the future, rockets with a range of dozens of miles.
This range would be more than double that of the Grad rockets, which were fired last week at Ashkelon. Ashdod is about 28 kilometers north of the Gaza Strip, within the range of such a rocket.
In the past few days, Hamas speakers have threatened to fire rockets “beyond Ashkelon” and in several cases even explicitly named Ashdod as a target.
Whether these threats are real or not, Ashdod municipality officials have sped up preparations for possible attacks on the city.
In talks held with the Home Front Command and other rescue organizations, plans are being made to deal with the population, rescue victims and install a warning system in the city.
All officials involved in the preparations claim that “these are only plans,” but Ashdod Mayor Zvi Ziliker is not taking any chances. In the past few days, he visited Ashkelon Mayor Roni Mahatzri several times to study the methods for dealing with the rocket threat.
Israeli security officials believe that since Hamas exploited the border breaches between the Gaza Strip and Egypt to acquire rockets with a range of dozens of kilometers, it may use them against targets such as Ashdod or other communities within the expanded range (including Kiryat Gat and Ofakim).
Israel’s Fifth Column
On Monday, Israeli Arabs held a solidarity event with Gaza and protested the Israeli operations in the city.
The demonstration was organized by the Israeli Arab Supreme Monitoring Committee, which decided on Sunday on a series of measures in protest of the death of Palestinian civilians in Israeli activity against the rocket terrorism from the Gaza Strip.
All the Arab political parties represented in the Israeli Knesset Parliament showed up on the podium.
Over 5,000 Arab citizens filled the alleyways of the Israeli Arab village of Umm el-Fahm, in solidarity with the situation of the Palestinians in Gaza Strip, alleging that Israel is causing a “Holocaust” in Gaza.
“The children of Hitler want to perpetrate a Holocaust against the children of Gaza,” read one widely distributed sign, whereas other printed signs read: “Stop the ZioNazi massacre.”
The demonstrators called for unity between the Palestinians and the Israeli Arabs. PLO flags were everywhere.
The figures who addressed the rally were Shawki Khatib, chairman of the Supreme Monitoring Committee, and Umm el-Fahm Mayor Hashem Abdul Rahman.
In Mr. Khatib’s speech, he said that “there are those who are planning a new Holocaust. … The Jewish people must study history and understand it – a people cannot be destroyed. The Palestinian people and its rights will not be destroyed.”
David Bedein can be reached at Media@actcom.co.il. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com
Jerusalem – Israeli army commanders of the two-day operation in the northern Gaza Strip take pride in the fact that during the operation in the Sajaiya neighborhood, not a single rocket was fired from there at Israel.
In that context, senior Israeli army sources admit that in order to put a complete stop to the rocket fire, it is necessary to stay in the Gaza Strip for a prolonged period of time or stage a sufficient number of operations to wear out the Palestinians.
After the troops pulled out, the rocket fire resumed, as has been the case many times following IDF operations. According to high-ranking commanders, the fire can be stopped completely only by means of a large number of continuous operations, which would wear down Palestinian capability and motivation.
Israeli Port City Of Ashdod Prepares For Hamas Attacks
Ashdod municipality officials are already preparing for the possibility that Ashdod, located north of Ashkelon, will be the next target for Hamas’ attacks. In the past few days, city officials have been preparing a defense plan, with the aid of the Home Front Command and other rescue organizations.
The Israeli security establishment is taking into account the possibility that Hamas has, or might have in the future, rockets with a range of dozens of miles.
This range would be more than double that of the Grad rockets, which were fired last week at Ashkelon. Ashdod is about 28 kilometers north of the Gaza Strip, within the range of such a rocket.
In the past few days, Hamas speakers have threatened to fire rockets “beyond Ashkelon” and in several cases even explicitly named Ashdod as a target.
Whether these threats are real or not, Ashdod municipality officials have sped up preparations for possible attacks on the city.
In talks held with the Home Front Command and other rescue organizations, plans are being made to deal with the population, rescue victims and install a warning system in the city.
All officials involved in the preparations claim that “these are only plans,” but Ashdod Mayor Zvi Ziliker is not taking any chances. In the past few days, he visited Ashkelon Mayor Roni Mahatzri several times to study the methods for dealing with the rocket threat.
Israeli security officials believe that since Hamas exploited the border breaches between the Gaza Strip and Egypt to acquire rockets with a range of dozens of kilometers, it may use them against targets such as Ashdod or other communities within the expanded range (including Kiryat Gat and Ofakim).
Israel’s Fifth Column
On Monday, Israeli Arabs held a solidarity event with Gaza and protested the Israeli operations in the city.
The demonstration was organized by the Israeli Arab Supreme Monitoring Committee, which decided on Sunday on a series of measures in protest of the death of Palestinian civilians in Israeli activity against the rocket terrorism from the Gaza Strip.
All the Arab political parties represented in the Israeli Knesset Parliament showed up on the podium.
Over 5,000 Arab citizens filled the alleyways of the Israeli Arab village of Umm el-Fahm, in solidarity with the situation of the Palestinians in Gaza Strip, alleging that Israel is causing a “Holocaust” in Gaza.
“The children of Hitler want to perpetrate a Holocaust against the children of Gaza,” read one widely distributed sign, whereas other printed signs read: “Stop the ZioNazi massacre.”
The demonstrators called for unity between the Palestinians and the Israeli Arabs. PLO flags were everywhere.
The figures who addressed the rally were Shawki Khatib, chairman of the Supreme Monitoring Committee, and Umm el-Fahm Mayor Hashem Abdul Rahman.
In Mr. Khatib’s speech, he said that “there are those who are planning a new Holocaust. … The Jewish people must study history and understand it – a people cannot be destroyed. The Palestinian people and its rights will not be destroyed.”
David Bedein can be reached at Media@actcom.co.il. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com
©The Bulletin 2008
