On Fire Line
The clashes with Hamas will “continue for some time,” Israel’s Defense Minister Amir Peretz said before the meeting of security cabinet that was expected to determine the extent of military response of Israel to Hamas attacks. Defense minister declared the state of emergency in Sderot, while Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed they would step up attacks on militant leaders responsible for rocket firing but wouldn’t order wider offensive in the coastal strip.
Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged they would focus on Hamas and Jihad militants, whom he blamed for escalation of rocket attacks on southern Israel. If it doesn’t help, the cabinet will consider stronger steps, the PM promised, signaling they are yet unready to proceed from the current operations to large-scale ground offensive into the territory quitted in 2005.
Israel has moved tanks, armored vehicles and ground forces to the region and its aerial assaults against the facilities of Hamas armed wing in Gaza have been continuous in the recent 24 hours. The pilotless planes and helicopters are patrolling air above northern Gaza to hit militants before they launch a rocket attack on Israel.
In Sderot, the target of Hamas attacks is the peaceful populace. This city that is located just a few kilometers from northern border of Gaza has been abandoned by the better part of residents. Sderot, which used to be a home to roughly 20,000 Israelis, has withstood over 120 rocket attacks of Palestine’s gunmen in the past week.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of May 21, 2007
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