Israel stands by military action against rocket squads
Israel today stood by its new policy of firing artillery shells at Palestinian rocket squads operating from populated areas in Gaza, even after a round killed an eight-year-old Palestinian girl.
The Israeli military intensified its offensive against Palestinian rocket fire after the Hamas militant group took charge of the Palestinian Authority two weeks ago.
In a major policy shift, it has begun allowing guns to fire close enough to hit populated areas.
That change claimed the life of eight-year-old Hadil Ghaben yesterday, after two shells blew huge holes in a concrete block house in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip.
The girl’s mother and seven siblings were hurt in the attack.
“As long as it’s not quiet here (in Israel), it won’t be quiet there (in Gaza),” Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said.
Deputy Defence Minister Zeev Boim apologised for the girl’s death, but said the military operations would continue as long as Palestinian militants continue to launch rockets at Israel.
“We are very sorry about it, but you have to understand that the military’s task is to defend the security of the citizens of Israel,” Boim said.
“If the Hamas government will not control these terrorists from firing Qassam (rockets) against Israeli civilians in cities and communities, we will continue to push these citizens out of the range of these rockets.”
Since the beginning of the month, Israel has retaliated against the estimated 32 rockets that landed in Israeli territory with 16 air strikes and more than 1,000 artillery rounds, the military said.
Seventeen Palestinians, including 13 militants, have died in the offensive since Friday. There have been no Israeli casualties from the rocket fire.
Palestinian militants have threatened revenge for the Israeli military crackdown, but the Hamas government is quietly urging them to refrain from launching rockets at Israel without permission, officials from both sides have confirmed.
While Hamas says it still supports armed resistance against Israel, a halt in violence would enable it to focus on other brewing crises.
Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections in January on a platform of ending government corruption and improving public services.
But since being sworn into office, the government has found itself facing tough Western aid cut-offs, Palestinian infighting and now growing violence with Israel.
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