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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Two Boys Wounded, One Critically, in Sderot Rocket Attack |
| 2006-12-27 |
| by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu and Hillel Fendel Arab terrorists launched rockets at Sderot Tuesday night, seriously wounding two Jewish 9th-graders. Defense Minister Peretz says it's time for Prime Minister Olmert to start firing back. One of the boys, 14-year-old Adir Basad, was in very critical condition throughout the night; after a series of operations, his condition stabilized in the early morning and he is no longer in danger of his life. The second boy, Matan Cohen, suffered moderate wounds. They are being treated at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Three other people were treated for shock, and a house and nearby cars sustained heavy damage. Neighbors who heard the rockets fall said they went to the street to see if anyone was hurt, and found the two boys embraced and bleeding profusely. The two had just completed a high school test and were walking home. Islamic Jihad terrorists said they were behind the attack, bringing to more than 60 the number of rockets fired on Israel since the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced a ceasefire a month ago. Olmert announced that he would convene an emergency meeting of the security cabinet Wednesday morning. Similar meetings of late have not produced a change in the policy of restraint in the face of continued terrorist ceasefire violations. The latest attack has put more pressure on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to change his policy of restraint and concessions. He recently announced "goodwill" measures including the easing of travel restrictions for Arabs in Judea and Samaria. Seven rockets were fired on Israel during the day, including a long-range rocket that hit a strategic facility in Ashkelon for the second straight day. Dangerous materials are stored at the strategic site. Defense Minister Amir Peretz said last week that the government is "gambling with the lives" of residents of Sderot, where he lives, and added tonight that it was time for the government to give the orders to fire back. Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor), during a visit to the site of a proposed new community for expelled residents of former Gush Katif communities, said that the time has come to react "with might" against terrorists who fire rockets. IDF officers are currently under orders not to prevent Kassam rocket terror cells from launching attacks, unless the soldiers' lives are directly and immediately endangered. Olmert seems to have backpedaled on that, see below. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #2 IDF officers are currently under orders not to prevent Kassam rocket terror cells from launching attacks, unless the soldiers' lives are directly and immediately endangered. Grade 9 students, however, are fair game. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2006-12-27 16:25 |
| #1 Olmert announced that he would convene an emergency meeting of the security cabinet Wednesday morning ... to issue a stern condemnation. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-12-27 14:23 |