The Israeli citizens of Ashkelon knew it was only a matter of time before a rocket from the Gaza Strip hit their coastal city. A day after a makeshift missile struck near the city centre, residents joined calls on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government on Wednesday to intensify its expanding offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza.
"The government is not letting the army do what is necessary and the Palestinians are no longer scared of us," said Abraham Biton, a 61-year-old retired police officer. The home-made Qassam rocket flew 12 km (8 miles) north from the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, hitting a street near an Ashkelon school but not hurting anyone. It was the deepest ever Palestinian rocket strike into Israel.
Continuing rocket fire and the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier on June 25 have punctured hopes in Israel that last year's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip after 38 years of occupation would bring a measure of calm.
The violence has also raised questions over whether Olmert can carry out a pullout from parts of the occupied West Bank. Until now, the rockets had fallen mostly on the town of Sderot, a poor community between Gaza and the Negev desert.
Ashkelon is different. It is a city of 115,000 people, relatively prosperous and somewhere that Israelis go to relax on the beach. The housing blocks of Gaza appear as just a concrete grey smudge above the Mediterranean.
"With all the Qassams falling in Sderot, we've been waiting for one to hit here," said Chen Avital, who saw the cloud of dust thrown up when the rocket hit.
"Now that it did, it's changed our thoughts a bit. The government is doing its best, but apparently not enough," added the 18-year-old, who is about to join the army.
The rockets rarely kill or wound, but they spread panic and a feeling of insecurity. "They (Israelis) should be angry. It will make them more like us - angry and scared," said Palestinian Abdul al-Ghaffar, the son of a farmer, close to the site from where the rocket into Ashkelon was fired.
Under pressure for action, Olmert said the rocket attack on Ashkelon would have "unprecedented" consequences. Olmert cleared the way on Wednesday for an expansion of the offensive to stop rocket fire and bring home the soldier.
Troops have already entered south Gaza and the northern edge of the strip, the main rocket firing zone. Israeli planes have carried out nightly attacks, badly damaging the Interior Ministry and a school early on Wednesday.
Olmert's rivals argue that giving up settlements in Gaza has increased the danger to Israel and emboldened militants. The violence has dampened enthusiasm for a similar withdrawal from parts of the West Bank.
Under Olmert's plan, Israel would remove some isolated settlements to strengthen bigger blocs in the absence of peace talks. Palestinians say it would mean a land grab denying them the state they seek in all of Gaza and the West Bank.
Comments
Comments are closed.