Second Qassam rocket in 24 hours strikes southern Israel
Attack follows calls to expedite deployment of delayed "Iron Dome" defense batteries.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Israel defense system Gaza rockets Israel newsA second rocket fired from the Gaza strip in 24 hours struck Israel late on Wednesday, falling on open ground and causing no damage or injury.
Launch of the Gaza-made Qassam rocket followed air strikes on Gaza on Tuesday night. Israel's air force struck smuggling tunnel beneath Gaza's southern border with Egypt in retaliation for another rocket attack earlier in the day.
The strikes also followed a series of what appeared to be attempted attacks on Israel, in which barrels packed with explosives rigged for remote detonation were washed ashore south of Tel Aviv.
Earlier today Haaretz reported that Israeli military commanders had for the time being decided against permanently deploying a new defense system against rocket fire, known as "Iron Dome".
The army now expects to begin operating the anti-rocket batteries in May. But the units will initially remain at one of the air forces southern bases and deployed in the field only event the event of a "serious escalation", the army said.
Earlier on Wdnesday former defense minister Amir Peretz urged Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday to deploy Iron Dome in the southern town of Sderot as soon as possible.
In the past three years, government ministers have repeatedly promised that the batteries would be deployed in the field and would effectively defend communities near the Gaza Strip.
Sderot, the target of multiple rocket attacks over the past eight years, is expected to be the first town to benefit from the new system.
Much of the testing for Iron Dome was completed over the past month. In one especially impressive trial in the Negev, the system downed several barrages of incoming rockets.
However, Haaretz has learned that acquiring and deploying the system will apparently be much slower than planned and the military may not meet its May deployment deadline.
A senior source in the General Staff explained that two tests of the system still need to be carried out. "We are still not at the decision stage on the way the system will be used," the source said. "We need to evaluate fully the missile's capabilities and only then determine the extent of the acquisition."
The source said the media had failed to understand the real purpose of the system; reporters have described Iron Dome as a routine means for intercepting Qassam rockets and Grad-type Katyushas.
"This is a system that is expected to counter much bigger rockets that may be in the Gaza Strip, like the Fajr-5," he said. The Iranian-made Fajr-5 is in Hezbollah's arsenal and has a range of 75 kilometers. It carries a warhead of between 100 and 150 kilograms.
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Two qassams in one day !! What does the cowardly groveling leftest politician Barak say or do. He hates jews thereby allowing hamas to fire rockets at Israeli citisens.He was appointed minister of defence. Does he know the word DEFENCE AND SECURITY OF THE PEOPLE? He has become the minister of evictions of jews from thier homes at night.Get rid of this piece of junk/
By doing so little, Israel invites (deserved) scorn, especially in the wake of two intentionally lost wars
Over the last few years missile offensives against Israel have tended to coincide with political crises in Iran. For example the Hizbulla war in summer 2006 was timed to coincide with a UN Security Council discussion of the Iranian nuclear issue while the Hamas offensive that provoked Operation Cast Lead began only a few months before the Presidential election fraud in Iran. These latest missile and floating bomb attacks may be calculated to create an escalation that will distract international attention from the protest demonstrations planned for the anniversary of the Iranian revolution on February 11th. Imported Palestinian terrorists were used last year to massacre Iranian protesters by the Revolutionary Guard. Israel and all free countries should be ready to do whatever is possible and necessary to prevent a new massacre by the Iranian dictatorship. Khamenei's murderers will NOT escape justice!
Nope - 'fraid not - not according to UNGA 181 and Israel's own Declaration of 'Independence'...
I thought not.
Have the Israeli navy prepare for beach assaults on the Palestinians! Is the Israeli air force available on such short notice? If so, have them load their deadliest payloads. Contact all Israel's allies in other countries to let them know the anti-semitic Palestinians have launched war again. It looks like it will be all out this time.
from the first lesson. I guess so-called suffering is a fake as pals keep firing from afar projectiles at Israel's population centers.
Idiot ,smaller rockets kill too,must the citizens of Sderot suffer smaller rocket attacks and you will defend them only against bigger rockets .How stupid can the defense ministry get ?Yop should all resign if this is what you are bringing to the table ,especially Mr .Barak ,
More proof that the government cares very little for the residents in the south who waited 8 YEARS and 8000 rockets before they took notice,many of whom had no access to shelters including all of the kibbutzim that border Gaza. It took an out going president in the US and an election here before the 'time was right' and then Israel punished Gaza with a vengence when it could have stopped it years ago...wonder how many rockets have to land on Tel Aviv before they get 'Iron dome'..answers on a post card...