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War on Terror

Southern residents furious over lack of defense


By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
January 16, 2005

Residents of Jewish towns in the western Negev and Gaza Strip were furious at the weekend over the Sharon government’s failure to adequately defend them from “Palestinian” rocket and mortar shell attacks.

On Saturday night, an Israeli teen was critically wounded when a Kassam rocket hit her in the head on a main street in the town of Sderot.

Hours earlier, a seven-year-old Jewish boy had his hand mangled when a mortar shell slammed into his family’s home in the Gaza settlement of Netzarim.

The Jews of Gaza have accused Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of intentionally doing too little to prevent such attacks in order to justify his plan to surrender the coastal strip to the Palestinian Arabs.

Target:Sderot

Sderot, which lies just off the northeast edge of the Gaza Strip, has been a favorite target of “Palestinian” rocket crews operating from nearby PA-controlled territories.

Miraculously, the hundreds of Kassams and other rockets that have struck the town have caused very few casualties.

But despite the town’s early warning system, Saturday’s attack ended in tragedy.

A Kassam rocket slammed into a main street, striking a 17-year-old Ella Abukasis in the head.

Ambulance crewmembers told The Jerusalem Post she was pronounced dead en route to Ashkelon’s Barzilai Hospital.

Ella’s brother Tamir and another man were also wounded in the attack.

Under siege in Gaza

Hour earlier, a seven-year-old Jewish boy was moderately wounded when a “Palestinian” mortar slammed into his family’s home in the Gaza settlement of Netzarim.

The boy was evacuated to Beersheva’s Soroka Hospital where, paramedics said, his hand had to be amputated.

A second Israeli was also wounded in the attack.

The Hamas terrorist organization claimed credit.

Fed up with terror

The government’s response to these and a more deadly attack on Gaza’s Karni Crossing Thursday was to launch a limited raid on terrorist positions in Khan Yunis.

Seven armed “Palestinians” were killed in clashes with Israeli forces in the central Gaza town.

But while Ha’aretz reported the government planned to expand the anti-terror operation, residents of Sderot demanded more.

Angry citizens took to the streets of the small Negev town Saturday night insisting their government do more to defend them.

Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal said earlier in the month that perhaps the IDF should flatten Gaza so that Israel could rebuild it in a manner that did not facilitate terrorism.

“Our residents are fed up. I don't know what has to be done, but perhaps Gaza should be flattened and rebuilt,” Moyal told Arutz 7.

Residents of southern Gaza’s Katif Bloc have on several occasions accused the government of purposely doing too little to defend them in order to boost support for Sharon’s claim that Israel must leave the Strip.

Hands tied

Last month, senior IDF officers said the Sharon government was tying their hands in dealing with Gaza-based terrorists.

“Frustration doesn't begin to describe the real feeling here. There's a lot we could do against mortars, but our hands are tied by the political level,” one officer told Ynet.

The officers explained that limited operations like the one launched Friday were ultimately of little use.

“The terrorists have learned” that this is all Israel will do in retaliation “and are encouraged to continue.”

An IDF liaison joining Sharon for testimony before the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee last month said the prime minister had given the army a free hand to take care of the problem of artillery attacks.

Despite this, diplomatic considerations appeared to still be restraining Israel as it seeks to defend its citizens while avoiding international displeasure.

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