Education Minister Yuli Tamir said Thursday that the ministry would consider evacuating Sderot students to schools in other areas should the need arise.

Palestinian militants fire Qassam rockets into Sderot and other Gaza-area communities almost daily, placing the lives of the residents of these towns in danger.

In an interview with Army Radio, Tamir said "If the need arises, we will take the students to study in other places or hold classes in shifts [in buildings reinforced against rockets], we are considering all the possibilities." Tamir also said that it will take more than a year to reinforce all the schools in Sderot against rocket attacks, in accordance with a High Court of Justice ruling. The school year, however, is scheduled to begin on September 2.