Israel warned Wednesday night that it would hit back hard at Gaza terror groups, after Islamic Jihad fired more than 50 rockets at southern Israel in the heaviest attack since 2012.
Although the rocket fire subsided late in the evening, Israel raised its security alert in the south, and residents in southern Israel were told to stay within 15 seconds of rooms reinforced against rockets, amid indications that the dramatically escalated new round of confrontation was not over.
At least two rockets fell in residential areas, one of them causing light damage in Sderot. There were no direct injuries, but a Sderot woman, aged 57, was lightly hurt when running for cover.
“If there is no quiet in our south, no quiet for the residents of Israel, there will be noise, lots of noise in Gaza,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a joint press conference with Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron.
Israel later closed all border crossings into the Strip and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon canceled all visitation rights for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, apparently a punitive measure.
Earlier, Ya’alon said Israel would not allow the attacks to pass without a response. “We will not let Islamic Jihad or anybody else in Gaza disrupt the life of Israel’s citizens,” Ya’alon said. “When it’s not quiet in southern Israel, it won’t be quiet in Gaza — so that the terrorists will regret their rocket fire.” Ya’alon said Israel held Hamas responsible for the rocket fire since it rules Gaza, “and if it can’t ensure quiet it will pay a price.”
The IDF’s Southern Command chief, Sami Turgeman, said the army had “no intention of showing restraint.”
Security chiefs held emergency consultations in early evening, and then presented the political leadership with “a range of options,” military sources said.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman demanded that Israel re-invade Gaza, from which it withdrew unilaterally in 2005, but Netanyahu did not back the idea when asked about it at his press conference with Cameron.
Cameron condemned the rocket attacks and earlier, during talks with President Shimon Peres, called them barbaric. “Let me absolutely clear about these attacks from Gaza, we condemn them completely,” Cameron said. “They are a reminder once again of the importance of maintaining and securing Israel’s future and the security threats you face, and you have Britain’s support in facing those security threats.”
The visiting British prime minister noted that “these attacks are completely indiscriminate, aimed at civilian populations and that is a demonstration of how barbaric they are.” And he stressed that “there is no violent route to statehood” for the Palestinians.
British Prime Minister David Cameron signs the visitors book at the President’s Residence while President Shimon Peres looks on, March 12, 2014 (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Peres said Israel could not “behave as though nothing happened, and I’m sure the government will take the necessary steps to stop it. Hamas must understand that… we shall not accept Gaza as a center of terror, we cannot permit it. It’s not just a matter of wounded or killed; it’s a million and a half people who won’t have security or a night’s sleep. We’d clearly like to have peace but we must stop the terror.”
In Gaza, Hamas officials said they would hold Israel responsible for any “escalation,” and that IDF action would be met with fierce resistance.
“We hold the occupation responsible, we warn of the consequences of any escalation and we reiterate that resistance is the right of the Palestinian people to defend itself,” Ihab al-Ghassin, a Hamas spokesman, said.
Dozens of rockets as well as mortar rounds were fired from the Gaza Strip at southern Israeli towns on Wednesday afternoon. In an initial response hours later, the IDF fired tank shells at what it termed “terror targets” in the Strip
Israel put the number of rockets at over 60, and Islamic Jihad, which took responsibility for the attacks, said it had fired 90 rockets. The organization said in a statement that it had launched an ongoing “military operation,” which it termed “Breaking the Silence.”
No Israeli casualties were reported in what was the largest attack from the Strip since Operation Pillar of Defense in late 2012.
A trail of smoke from rockets fired by Palestinians from Gaza toward Israel is seen above Gaza City on Wednesday, March 12, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Adel Hana)
Most of the rockets were reported to have fallen in open areas, though at least one rocket landed in a residential neighborhood in Sderot. Damage was reported at two impact sites.
IAF jets were reportedly flying over the Strip, apparently in an effort to thwart further rocket launches, and tanks fired shells at several targets in the coastal territory.
Palestinian security agencies in the Strip evacuated their headquarters for fear of Israeli reprisal, Sky News reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the press at southern port of Eilat, Monday, March 10, 2014, as Israel displayed advanced M-302 rockets that were unloaded from the Panamanian-flagged Klos-C vessel (photo credit: AFP/ Jack Guez)
Islamic Jihad indicated that the attack was in retaliation for the Tuesday killing at the hands of the IDF of three Islamic Jihad operatives as they prepared to fire at Israel from the Gaza Strip.
“The Al-Quds Brigades responded to (Israeli) aggression with a volley of rockets,” the group said.
Immediately following the rocket attack, Netanyahu said Israel would forcefully respond to any threat on its citizens.
“It seems that the rocket fire came in response to our counter-terrorism operations yesterday,” Netanyahu said. “We will continue to thwart and harm those who wish to harm us, and we will act against them with great intensity.
“Last year, the number of rockets fired from Gaza was the lowest in a decade, but we will not settle for that. We will continue to ensure the security of Israeli citizens in the south and throughout the country.”
Last week, Israel intercepted what it said was an Iranian shipment of rockets intended for terror groups in Gaza. Israeli military sources said the arms, including 409 rockets, were destined for Islamic Jihad.
AFP and Avi Issacharoff contributed to this report.
WarSclerotic 
March 12, 2014 at 10:29 PM
cook them
March 12, 2014 at 10:35 PM
I will point out that it was cameron who suggested leveling gaza
March 13, 2014 at 10:39 AM
Russia preparing to develop Gaza gas field
In a significant political and economic development, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Jan. 23 with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting came as a prerequisite to officially sign an investment agreement aiming to develop the Gaza offshore gas field in the Mediterranean Sea. It is only logical to assume that this step will raise the ire of Israel. The latter does not appreciate the role Russia plays in the region, especially since Israel has never come to an agreement with Russia.
Summary⎙ Print Russia and the Palestinian Authority are making preparations to sign an agreement for Russia to develop Gaza’s offshore gas fields, after years of stalled efforts.
Author Helmi Moussa Posted January 24, 2014
Translator(s)Steffi Chakti
Original Article اقرا المقال الأصلي باللغة العربية
AFP reported that there were talks of investing $1 billion to develop the Palestinian gas field. It is known that the two fields explored offshore of Gaza in the Mediterranean are called Gaza Marine 1 and 2. In 1999, the Palestinian Authority granted the British Gas Group the exclusive rights to explore gas. In 2000, the company announced that it discovered gas and was seeking to develop the field in partnership with Consolidated Contractors Company and the Palestinian Authority. However, the eruption of the second Palestinian intifada, in addition to Ariel Sharon assuming the premiership of the Israeli government and his refusal of funding the Palestinian Authority through gas revenues, has impeded the finding of markets to produce and subsequently develop this field. Back then, the Israeli government sought to buy gas from Egypt to avoid buying gas from the Palestinian field.
Ever since that time and until recently, the British Gas Group, in addition to the British and US governments and the former quartet envoy to Palestine Tony Blair, have attempted in vain to find solutions to the issue of the gas field. When the split between Hamas and Fatah occurred in 2007, and dealing with the Gaza government became prohibited, the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah was no longer powerful. This would then increase the frustration of the British Gas Group, leading the company to stop its communications aiming to sell gas and to shut down its offices in Israel a year after that.
However, three months ago, the Financial Times mentioned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had granted his approval to develop the field. The newspaper noted that Netanyahu had given the green light to the development of the field hoping to create joint economic interests between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. At the time, Israeli sources noted that Netanyahu has probably started to believe that Gaza Marine constitutes a source of natural gas, which compensates for the loss of Egyptian gas. These fields would help avoid a gas crisis, before the Leviathan gas field begins to produce gas in 2017, at the earliest. Some economic experts noted progress in the stance of Netanyahu, which is attributed to his desire not to place the Israeli economy under the mercy of Tamar-Leviathan partners, especially that the driving force behind them are the American Noble Energy and the Israeli Delek.
The official Russian news agency Itar-Tass noted that the Russian energy giant Gazprom wishes to produce 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas as part of its process to invest the field. It also worth mentioning that the Russian engineering company Technopromexport is studying the feasibility of investing in the process of oil exploration in a small land field located near the city of Ramallah. AFP, however, explained that the progress of communications — in terms of the two deals — is not yet clear, as well as the launching of the work.
It is important to note that according to economic estimations, the reserve of Marine Gaza can hold up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas, noting that its development will need three to four years and will cost around a billion dollars. The revenues of this field are estimated at $6 to $7 billion a year, throughout many years. A part of the said revenues will be given to the Palestinian Authority in the form of taxes and fees. This is supposed to render the authority independent from donor countries.
Abbas announced in Moscow that he is dealing with Russia as a major power, which has to play a key role in the Middle East. He added, “We are happy to see that Russia is an active and influential power on the international arena.” Abbas old Itar-Tass, “We would like to see Russia playing a leading role in the Middle East, since it is a major power.”
This issue prompts the following question: Is this development related to the fact that the deadline of US-brokered negotiations is imminent? It is only normal for the Palestinian Authority not be satisfied with the US stance, which constantly refuses any pressure exerted on Israel to implement international resolutions. Could Russia, however, enter the area of Israeli economic influence, without coming to an agreement with the government of Netanyahu?
Published Beirut, Lebanon Established 1974
Language Arabic Frequency daily
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http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/business/2014/01/russia-palestine-offshore-gas-field-gaza.html#
March 13, 2014 at 3:09 PM
thats more of a reason than i ever read to exterminate Garza and the PA,Russia will soon be dust