Israel courting Kassam catastrophe

Failure to put end to rocket threat makes disaster inevitable

 Printer-friendly version

By Ryan Jones
April 05, 2006

Israel appears content to simply wait for disaster after a Kassam rocket attack that nearly ended in catastrophe when it landed just meters from hazardous materials in Ashkelon Tuesday elicited little more than a token response.

The rocket, fired by Palestinian Arabs operating out of northern Gaza, landed inside Ashkelon's vulnerable southern industrial district, dangerously close to substances that if ignited would have devastating consequences.

Said a local employee interviewed by Ynet:

"A great disaster was prevented today. The rocket landed near a stockpile of highly inflammable materials. One flare could have caused grave damages to the entire vicinity."

Four other Kassams struck the nearby communities of Kibbutz Zikim, Kibbutz Karmiya and Nativ Ha'asarah. No injuries were reported.

The homegrown Kassam packs a relatively weak punch. But a direct hit on strategic locations in Ashkelon, such as the Rotenberg Power Plant or chemical storage facilities, would magnify its power and killing radius exponentially.

Nor is the Kassam the only or even the deadliest projectile in the Gaza arsenal. Last week a local Islamic Jihad cell launched an Iranian-made Katyusha rocket, an advanced weapon with far greater range, accuracy and payload.

Despite this clear and present danger, Israel's response continues to be the shelling of fields and empty buildings in Gaza, and the occassional targeted assassination of a known terrorist field commander. It is obviously not having the desired effect, as the rocket barrages have become a near daily occurance.

Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has even gone so far as to assert that the Hamas-ruled "Palestinian" territories do not pose "a strategic threat" to Israel.

Observers believe it is only a matter of time before one of these rockets finds its mark in Ashkelon and changes Olmert's mind.

Related Articles:

• IDF takes out high-ranking Gaza terrorist
• IDF soldier killed in Gaza ambush
• Has Israel agreed to stop firing on Hamas, or not?
• Two soldiers killed as Israel defends itself
• IDF soldier wounded in ongoing war on terror

Support us!
Buy Israeli products

	Tekuma - Story of Israel's Rebirth $58.47 - 55% OFF! DVD box set outlining the miracle of the State of Israel
	Body Care Set $14.95 - 70% OFF! Dead Sea creams nourish and protect
	Medium Shofar $39.95 - 28% OFF! Classical ram's horn shofar

Sponsors: