The war by Hamas against Israel continues.
A man was killed Sunday morning in the southern town of Sderot after a rocket landed near the car he was sitting in.
The man, 36-year-old Oshri Oz of Hod Hasharon, crashed into the wall with his car after it was hit. He managed to get out of the vehicle and take a number of steps before collapsing. He was evacuated to the Barzilay Medical Center in Ashkelon, where he died of his wounds.
Oz was a computer technician who used to visit Sderot often as part of his work. He was survived by his pregnant wife and a 2-year-old daughter.
The AP continues its policy of never naming Israeli victims of Palestinian terrorist attacks.
Another rocket slammed into the southern Israeli town of Sderot early today, killing a 36-year-old computer technician as he was driving. It was the second fatal rocket attack in less than a week.
Olmert continues the big talk.
“There will be no immunity for anyone involved in terror,” Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stressed at Sunday’s cabinet meeting, adding that Israel would “act without a time limit and will not be subject to conditions from any outside source.”
“We have instructed the IDF to continue operating against the terrorists. In the past few days many dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad men have been hit. The operation was meant to hit anyone involved in the shooting, anyone providing means to commit the attacks, and everyone involved,” the prime minister explained.
Responding to expected international pressure and criticism, Olmert said, “We are not subject to any timetable dictated from external bodies. We will decide when, where, and how we act.”
And the Shin Bet says that Hamas is ready for an IDF ground attack, if the war continues to grow.
“They’ll be waiting for us with explosive tunnels, snipers, road bombs and anything else they can think of, just in case we decide to go in,” said Diskin.
The Shin Bet, he stressed, recommends, in agreement with the IDF, to continue the ongoing operation “in order to avoid hurting any civilians. We mustn’t believe any fabricated calm,” added Diskin. “We must keep hurting Hamas on a daily basis.”
[…] “As much as I appreciate the efforts, the problem isn’t with fortifications,” said a livid Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer. “The equation needs to be changed. We need to make it clear to the world that we have reached the end of our tolerance, and we should respond harshly.
“I don’t mean ground invasion. I’m talking about focusing heavy fire on the launch sites. We need special unit activity based on quality intelligence. This is the only way we can change the equation, not through fortification,” he added.
“The way we operate has made things very difficult for Hamas,” said Diskin when asked about IDF actions in the last few days.
“Rival Palestinian factions are talking to each other, trying to reach a ceasefire, and that shows us just how hard up they are,” he added. “Hamas and Khaled Mashaal are very concerned by the despair and misery among the Palestinian public.
[…] The ministers pushed further, asking if Hamas was capable of increasing the amount of missiles launched at Israel. “They can make such an effort, but for no longer than a few days,” said Diskin.
“They are limited by the difficulties in moving rocket launchers around, they can’t make as many rockets as before and they have an increasing amount of casualties,” he added.
“It’s no coincidence they’re not firing at Ashkelon. They may have the technical ability, but they know that would mean things have escalated further.”
To be continued.