Regarding remarks earlier Wednesday morning from Ashkelon Mayor Benny Vaknin following a Katyusha rocket attack into his city, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai stated this is intolerable but it is not the first time that rockets landed in Ashkelon, including Katyushas.

Vilnai stated he is aware the southern residents are in an extremely difficult situation, stressing any rocket attack is intolerable, and the experts will deal with it accordingly, but this is not a matter for the radio.

“I suggest leaving these discussions to the experts, and those who know how to deal with these matters. I am happy for every minute of quiet that was achieved by the ceasefire and now, the attacks have returned. We cannot act impulsively. We need to use force in those area where it is required, only by the experts”.

As far as Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni’s planned visit to Egypt on Thursday, “I think that if a leader invites a senior official the official should respond positively and in this case, Mubarak is a cornerstone to stability in Gaza.”

Vilnai stated that the decision closing crossings to Gaza holds and this includes the trucks sent by Mrs. Hosni Mubarak, which will result in a bit of a diplomatic uneasiness, but the decision nevertheless holds.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)