All agree that the frequency in rocket fire into southern Israeli communities has increased significantly since erev Shabbos, having surpassed 120 mortar shells, Kassam rockets and Grad katyusha rockets but for residents of the Gaza border communities, little has changed. These are the residents of the 7km (4.2 miles) along the border, those who are the most fortified against rocket fire.

Residents of these communities explain that it is sad that now the nation speaks of the “escalation” in rocket fire. For them, daily rocket fire has once again become the norm and now, with the longer range rockets aimed at larger cities, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Beersheva, the military acting differently.

Many residents reaffirm their willingness to sit in bomb shelters and safe rooms “for as long as it takes” if the IDF would send forces into Gaza and “clean house”, eliminating the terrorist infrastructure for good.

Other feel such a move would carry a high price tag in human life, that of IDF infantry forces, and therefore, they feel such an operation should not be ordered unless all other possibilities have been exhausted. This seems to be the preferred method being deployed by the decision-makers, who have considerably stepped-up aerial assaults and surgical strikes, but it does not appear that anyone is rushing to order ground forces into the Hamas controlled area.

Since Operation Cast Lead the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza has grown and today’s arsenal is significantly more deadly than IDF forces faced back then. The fall of Libya was one of the events providing terrorists a golden opportunity to take stolen weapons and ammunition into the Hamas-run area.

Israeli intelligence is aware that Gaza-based terrorists today have rockets capable of downing aircraft over Gaza, as well as anti-tank rockets capable of piercing the Merkava’s armor-plating and longer range rockets capable of striking Holon, Rishon L’Tzion, Rechovot, Tel Aviv and Beit Shemesh.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)