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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Palestinian rocket hits Israel, first since pullout
2005-09-23
GAZA - Palestinian militants fired a rocket from Gaza into Israel on Friday, a military source said, in the first such attack since Israeli forces completed a pullout from the territory 10 days ago. No casualties or damage were reported from the rocket which crashed into a field in southwest Israel near the border with the northern Gaza Strip.
The Islamic Jihad militant faction said it launched five rockets at Israel from north Gaza to avenge the killing of three of its gunmen by Israeli troops in a raid in the West Bank earlier in the day. Military sources could confirm only one rocket impact. ”Other explosions were heard in the region but no (other impact in Israel) has been confirmed,” a source said.

The deadly raid near Tulkarm was the first since Israel wound up its withdrawal of settlers and soldiers from Gaza on Sept. 12 after 38 years of occupation. It also pulled soldiers out of four vacated northern West Bank settlements this week.

Military sources said two militants were shot after they opened fire on troops while trying to flee arrest before dawn in the village of Illar outside Tulkarm. A third gunman who escaped was killed nearby in an exchange of fire, they told Reuters. Israeli security sources said the raid was aimed at capturing members of Islamic Jihad wanted for attacks on Israeli soldiers and settlers in the region. After the raid, senior Islamic Jihad leader Khaled al-Batsh in Gaza threatened reprisals. “Israel bears full responsibility for our reactions that will follow,” he told Reuters.

After the rocket fire, Islamic Jihad spokesman Abu Abdallah said there would be more retaliatory attacks on Israelis.
Posted by:Steve

#12  to follow up on 'moose's point:

MTHEL represents a transformational weapon system - the first mobile directed energy weapon that will be able to destroy tactical airborne threats in midair. In order to achieve a high rate of fire, designers are looking into the use of high energy capsules, which can be loaded prior to each shot. The cost per shot, primarily cost of the chemicals used to fuel the laser, is expected to be in the thousands of dollars - far less expensive than the cost of kinetic energy defense systems.

There are a number of issues involved in use of the THELs. Among them the angle of attack and distance of launch for the incoming ....
Posted by: lotp   2005-09-23 20:42  

#11  Gaza strip map.

http://tinyurl.com/79r2p

Every value target on the Israeli side could possibly be covered by 3 or 4 lasers, my guess.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-09-23 17:13  

#10  ed: the concept is to shoot down the occasional rocket that you can ballistically tell may do some serious harm. 90% just make a hole in dirt, but it's worth it to blow up that 10% that might hit a school or other civilian target.

Counter-battery fire is just an opportunity for them to surround their missile tubes with women and children.

After a time, the technology will improve and the price-per-shot should drop, I would hope. At some point, it would be worth it to shoot down everything.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-09-23 17:10  

#9  Work Accidents on Parade. Sponsored by Mutual of Gaza...
Posted by: tu3031   2005-09-23 13:18  

#8  ahhhh the first post-gaza-pullout car swarm!
Posted by: Frank G   2005-09-23 13:04  

#7  Sep 23, 2005 — GAZA (Reuters) - The death toll from an explosion on Friday at a militant rally in the Gaza Strip has risen to 10, medics said, including two children. It was the first deadly incident in Gaza since Israel's pullout.

The Israeli army denied involvement in the explosion in Jabalya refugee camp, which occured during a demonstration in support of the Islamic group Hamas attended by thousands. The blast also wounded at least 60 people, medics said.

Perhaps one of those guys who likes to parade around wearing a boom belt got carried away?
Posted by: Steve   2005-09-23 12:52  

#6   A large explosion went off Friday at a Hamas rally where group members paraded with homemade weapons and explosives,

People parading around with homemade explosives, and the press wonders if Israel was behind the explosion?
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2005-09-23 12:49  

#5  THEL uses Deuterium Flouride gas as the lasing medium at $3000 a shot. The damage done by these rockets is not worth the cost of the laser chemicals. $350 155mm artillery shells or $700 1000 lb. bombs are a much better response.

Running score:
Israelis 3, Hamas -4
Posted by: ed   2005-09-23 12:33  

#4  UPDATE:

JEBALIYA, Gaza Strip - A large explosion went off Friday at a Hamas rally where group members paraded with homemade weapons and explosives, killing four Palestinians and wounding 25, hospital officials said. Seven of the wounded were in serious condition, they said. Witnesses pulled body parts out of a vehicle that appeared to have been destroyed by the blast. An unmanned Israeli aircraft flew over the militant group's rally, but the Israeli military denied involvement in the blast.
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-09-23 12:09  

#3  Fresh from Haretz-Flash:

18:25 Hospital doctors say four killed, 25 wounded in explosion at Hamas Gaza rally (AP)

Posted by: Snaigum Crump7457   2005-09-23 12:06  

#2  Where are the anti-mortar/rocket lasers? The tech is in Israel, so they should deploy it immediately.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-09-23 11:51  

#1  Now is good time to open up with artillery into Gaza.
Posted by: ed   2005-09-23 11:44  

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