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Critical factories forced to soldier on in south By Ora Coren A new $70 million sugar refinery is close to going online at the Sugat plant in Kiryat Gat, located within a 30-kilometer radius from the Gaza Strip. Foreign experts, who must be on site to supervise, have all promised to return next week from their Christmas-New Year's vacations, but company officials have decided to put them up at a hotel in Tel Aviv rather than returning to Ashkelon. "They all confirmed their return but it's obvious that if the situation worsens they might decide not to come," Sugat CEO David Franklin said. The sole foreign expert who remained in Israel this week moved to Tel Aviv when the war began. Advertisement "He came with us into the bomb shelter yesterday and said we're giving him an experience he never expected and would rather not repeat," Franklin said. Sugat is classified as a critical facility that must remain open even if other factories in the area are ordered to close for security reason. In recent months the company has built, with no government assistance, five reinforced rooms for its workers. "It's illogical for factories to have to spend their own money without any government support or interest," Franklin said. Despite the rockets, all company employees reported to work this week. Amit Industries, in Ashdod, is also running as usual. The company makes special batteries for products ranging from robots and drone aircraft used by the army in the current operation to medical equipment that is sold abroad. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Crisis in question The Arab League slams Livni's remark 'there's no humanitarian crisis in Gaza' Acts of Terror In their waning days in power, Bush and Rice work to try organize a truce.

Read & React Bush: Hamas attacks on Israel are an 'act of terror' Responses: 71 Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff: Now IDF is getting personal with Hamas Responses: 76 Yossi Sarid: If you (or I) were Palestinian Responses: 128 Anshel Pfeffer: Right and Left, Diaspora Jews more critical of Israel than ever Responses: 80 Bradley Burston: To win in Gaza, Israel only has to survive Responses: 50 More Headlines 01:36 Israel launches a ground operation in the Gaza Strip 01:36 WATCH: Israeli troops launch ground incursion in Gaza Strip 22:23 Barak: Gaza invasion won't be short, and it won't be easy 22:39 Hamas: Gaza will become graveyard for Israeli troops 00:03 Israel okays call-up of tens of thousands of IDF reservists 00:27 Hezbollah urges Hamas to 'kill as many Israeli soldiers as they can' during Gaza op 22:41 EU presidency: Israel ground op in Gaza 'defensive not offensive' 00:53 Tens of thousands rally across Europe against Israel's Gaza offensive 00:56 Thousands rally in Tel Aviv for and against Israel's Gaza op 01:17 UN Security Council to hold emergency session on Israel's Gaza operation 20:14 Netivot home collapses as Hamas intensifies rocket fire from Gaza 13:32 ANALYSIS / Are air strikes enough, or is a ground op needed in Gaza? 17:47 Arab League slams Livni remark 'there's no humanitarian crisis in Gaza' 14:04 Bush calls Hamas attacks 'acts of terror', says working on truce 10:41 ANALYSIS / Israel must prepare to turn its military might from Gaza to Iran 09:42 UN chief wants international monitors for Gaza cease-fire 18:59 Gaza 2009 - To win, all Israel has to do is survive 18:45 Top Iran official holds talks with Syria on Gaza violence Previous Editions Select Day 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec 23 dec 22 dec 21 dec

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