Last update - 00:00 08/02/2007
Beinisch: Gov't can do better job of fortifying schools near Gaza
By Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondent
Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch said Thursday that she is unconvinced that the current government plan for fortifying schools in Sderot and other communities bordering the Gaza Strip is the most effective one available.
During deliberations on petitions calling for fortification of all classrooms, instead of the current plan to fortify only some of the rooms, Justice Beinisch said she is not convinced that the students would be able to reach the protected classrooms within 15 seconds.
The state was asked to report on the progress in fortification process within 45 days.
The state told the court that the Prime Minister's Office has decided to fully fortify the classrooms for the first through third grades, as opposed to the original plan of fortifying all the classrooms through sixth grade. Only certain rooms belonging to fourth through sixth grades will be fortified.
In a previous debate over the issue, the State Prosecution said tests have shown that students are able to reach the fortified rooms within 15 seconds. The Qassam rocket alert system is able to identify incoming rockets 20 seconds before impact.
The state told the court that the plan is to complete the fortifications by the beginning of the next school year at a cost of NIS 110,000.
Meanwhile Thursday, three Qassam rockets hit Israel, one of which struck south of the city of Ashkelon. One person was treated for shock at the scene.
The second and third Qassams landed near the reservoir of a kibbutz in the Negev and another in Sderot. There were no casualties or damage in the incidents.
Also Thursday, Islamic Jihad militants said they used an upgraded launcher to fire rockets at Israel.
The new launcher can fire up to six rockets at a time, the militant group said. Previous launchers had been able to fire only single missiles.
The group said it used the new launcher to send 10 of its homemade rockets toward the Sufa cargo crossing on the Israel-Gaza border.