So far tonight, 9 Qassam rockets have been fired at Israel, 7 hitting Sderot. A 44-year-old woman has been moderately to seriously wounded, and her 4-year-old son lightly hurt when one of the rockets scored a direct hit on their home. A rocket hit another house in Sderot, and another a schoolyard.
Prime Minister Olmert and Defense Minister Peretz have reportedly given the IDF authorization to respond based on the predetermined standard operating procedures for such a situation. Somehow, I don’t believe this means kicking serious butt. So far, IAF helicopters have fired at the open fields in northern Gaza used by the terror groups to launch the rocket attacks. Peretz intends to meet later this evening with senior IDF and Shin Bet officials, in order to discuss the escalation and possible military actions.
No doubt this latest barrage is meant to distract the palestinians from killing each other. After all, there is nothing that can unify palestinian terrorists like a spot of Jew-killing. But it is important to note that the Qassams are being fired at Israel regularly; tonight’s just happens to be the most serious attack in a while. Elder of Ziyon has been doing a great job tracking the Qassams here.
Updates (Israel time)
9:35PM: One Jerusalem have recent video footage taken in Sderot. And Sdrot Media has more, including some harrowing footage of kindergarten children running to a bomb shelter during an attack.
9:40PM: Ha’aretz are now reporting 4 wounded, and 8 treated for shock.
10:00PM: According to Israel National News, Hamas took credit for the attacks, saying they were carried out “in revenge” for the killing of 9 armed Arabs in Gaza, claiming they were killed by an IDF shell. But even the palestinian Ma’an news has reported that they were killed by their fellow palestinians.
10:03PM: 18 injured.
10:50PM: More rockets fired; the total for today now stands at 18.
10:54PM: Ha’aretz are reporting that Sderot schools will be closed down tomorrow, due to the “security situation.”
10:58PM: The Jerusalem Post are reporting something different than Israel National News (see 10:00PM update above).
11:22PM: Debka are reporting as many as 30 Kassams have been fired tonight. They also claim that Hamas is determined to prove it can fight on two fronts – against Fatah and against Israel.Hamas officials claimed responsibility shortly after the attack, saying the salvo was retaliation for Israel’s killing an operative during an attack near a border crossing earlier Tuesday and also to commemorate the May 15 founding of Israel in 1948, known to Palestinians as al-Naqba, of “the catastrophe.”I’m not sure if this is due to sloppy journalism, or Hamas changing their story. There’s precedent for both.
Meanwhile, Carl has his own theory as to why Hamas would be firing the barrage of Kassams into Israel:
11:35PM: Israel Radio has reported that a 10-year-old girl has died of wounds sustained in Hamas-Fatah clashes. That’s got to be good for a few more Kassams after Hamas blame her death on Israel.Arutz Sheva is quoting Channel 2’s Arab affairs analyst as saying that Hamas did this to try to stop the ‘Palestinian’ civil war by unifying all of the factions against Israel. That was my first thought as well, but on second thought I am not sure it’s correct. Hamas is clearly stronger than Fatah and more popular than Fatah. They are winning the war. Why would they want to stop it?It seems more likely to me that what Hamas does want to stop is the transfer of weapons and supplies from Israel and the United States (with Israel’s help and consent) to Fatah’s forces. Recall that yesterday (which seems like ages ago), Hamas intercepted a weapons shipment headed for Fatah’s forces (again). If I’m correct, then hitting Hamas targets will only make matters worse and lead to an escalation.I still favor the “unify against Israel” theory. Hamas’ primary goal is to destroy Israel, not to win the war against Fatah (which is a secondary goal).
12:10AM: 2 more Kassams fired at Sderot.
12:40AM: I Know What You Did Last Summer: Ynet reports that the Chairwoman of the Sderot Parents-Teachers Association has asked Russian-Israeli billionaire Arkadi Gaydamak to help evacuate the city, as he did last Summer during the Second Lebanon War.
12:45AM: Following the special security meeting called by Defense Minister Amir Peretz, Peretz had this to say:
“Israel cannot afford to accept harm being caused to its citizens. We will perform the necessary operations, we will not be part of the internal Palestinian power struggle, but we will respond severely.”
