Palestinian rocket hits medical clinic at Israeli mall

Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday (14th) fired a rocket at the Israeli city of Ashkelon that crashed through the roof of a health clinic at a shopping mall, badly wounding a woman and her 18-month-old daughter.  The doctor who was attending to them and a fourth person were also badly injured.  In addition to the four, 11 others suffered moderate wounds after being buried under piles of rubble.  62 people were treated for shock.

Maj. Gen. Uriel Bar-Lev, the police commander of Israel’s southern district, said bomb experts had determined that the rocket was Iranian-made.  “It has Iranian fingerprints on it,” he said.

The rocket was fired as President Bush and Prime Minister Olmert were meeting in Jerusalem on Wednesday (14th).

(NYT, Ynet, 5/15)

Update Thursday: Rocket victims

Avital Afgin, 24, and her 18-month-old baby Tair are in serious but stable condition after suffering potentially lethal shrapnel wounds in the Grad Katyusha rocket attack on a mall in Ashkelon Wednesday (14th) evening.  They were flown from Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon to the Tel HaShomer Medical Center in Tel Aviv, where they both underwent surgery during the night.

10 of those injured in the rocket attack remain hospitalized in the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, Thursday (15th).  Two of the 10 remain in the intensive care unit of the hospital.

(Ynet, 5/15)

Rocket attack survivors’ stories

Even though Eve Malcha is only 11 years old, Wednesday’s (14th) rocket attack was the fifth one she survived, and the second one in which she was wounded.  The other incidents involved Kassam rockets that landed close to her as she visited her grandparents in Sderot.

Shirit Hazot, 25, had been waiting to see a doctor at the woman’s health clinic when she thought she heard a nurse call her name.  She got up and went toward the doctor’s office.  “That saved me as the ceiling fell in,” she said.

(JP, 5/15)

Hamas Welcomes Bush with Rocket Attack – Ron Ben

Three days ago, Hamas started to target Ashkelon in order to welcome President Bush with an impressive rocket attack.  Rocket cells test-fired several rockets that missed, but every strike was more accurate than the previous one.  On Wednesday (14th), they fired one of the 200 Grad Katyusha rockets they possess, with lethal precision.  As opposed to the Kassam, whose warhead contains 16 pounds of explosives, the Iranian Grad’s warhead contains 44 pounds of explosives, which enabled it to penetrate the mall’s thick walls and cement ceiling.

The attack on Ashkelon was also Hams’ response to the terms presented by Israel Monday (12th) for a ceasefire.  Hamas is unwilling to tie the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit to the ceasefire agreement and is unwilling to end arms smuggling and building up its military strength.  If Israel is unwilling to accept Hamas’ terms, Hamas says, it will see Grad rockets on Ashkelon and we’ll see who breaks first.  Hamas estimated that as long as President Bush and other leaders were in Israel, the Israeli government would not respond with a fierce military operation.

(Ynet, 5/15)

IDF Intelligence: Palestinian rockets could reach Beersheba within two years

Israel’s Military Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin said Wednesday (14th) in an interview that “every community within a 25 mile range of Gaza may come within striking-distance of the Hamas rockets within two years: Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, and even Beersheba.

(Ha’Aretz, 5/15)

Dramatic increase in terror casualties in 2008

Palestinian terrorists have killed 25 Israelis this year compared to 13 all of last year, according to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.  Two people were killed since last Friday (9th), one from a mortar attack, and the other from a Kassam rocket.  Last week 35 rockets were fired, 22 of them in one day.

The rise in the death toll follows a continual decrease in 2002 and bears out warnings from nationalists that the security situation in Israel would worsen after the expulsion of Jews and the destruction of Jewish communities in the Gaza region and northern Samaria three summers ago.

(Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, 5/15)

Israel and Hamas on a collision course

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi has recently changed his stance on the issue of a ceasefire and, according to top officials, now believes that Israel and Hamas are on a collision course.

Ashkenazi had been reluctant to endorse a broad ground offensive, but the deadly attacks from Gaza in the past week have made him inclined to recommend a ground operation deep inside the territory, the officials said.

(JP, 5/15)

Palestinians: 2 Hamas operatives killed in IAF strike in Gaza

Palestinian sources reported early Thursday (15th) morning that two Hamas terrorists were killed in an IAF strike of a look-out station in Gaza City.  According to the IDF spokesman’s office, a strike against terrorists in Gaza had been authorized by the IAF, and was carried out.

(JP, 5/15)

Israel Deserves Admiration – Salim Mansur

The birth of Israel has offered Jews a secure home where they may prosper without any fear or apology.  If Israel had been born ten years earlier, then a great many Jews who perished in Hitler’s death camps likely would have survived.

Jews are an insignificant fraction of the present world population of over six and a half billion – around 14 million, or 0.2% of the total.  Yet Jewish contributions in the making of the modern world tower above that of any other people in relative terms, and their immense odds of survival as a people is amazing given the level of hostility directed at them.

Turning a desert into one of the rich economies of the world few imagined six decades ago is a proof of how much more could be achieved if those Jews didn’t have to fight.

The writer, a Muslim, is an associate professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario.

(Edmonton Sun – Canada, 5/15)

Bush addresses Knesset – US/Israel alliance unbreakable

U.S. President George W. Bush addressed the Knesset Thursday (15th) saying, “I’m honored to be here…American is proud to be Israel’s closest ally and best friend in the world.  Our alliance is unbreakable.”

“You have worked tirelessly for peace for freedom…When Americans look at Israel we see a pioneering spirit, talent and determination of a free people, refusing to let any obstacle stand in the way of their destiny.”

(Ynet, 5/15)