Israel threatens Hamas as Sderot mourns
Pastor Dale Morgan
Israel threatens Hamas as Sderot mourns*
· Not even political leaders immune, warns minister
· Israeli town empties after Gaza rocket kills woman
Conal Urquhart in Sderot
Wednesday May 23, 2007
The Guardian
Mourners at the funeral of Shirel Friedman, killed by a rocket fired
from the Gaza strip
The Israeli government yesterday said it would consider assassinating
the Palestinian prime minister as the town of Sderot emptied following
the first death from a Qassam rocket in six months.
Ephraim Sneh, the deputy defence minister, said Ismail Haniyeh, the
Palestinian prime minister, was not immune from Israeli reprisals for
the rocket fire which has forced thousands of Israeli residents close to
the Gaza border to flee.
Mr Sneh described the Hamas leadership as "terrorists in suits" and told
the Associated Press: "We don't care if he's a ringleader, a perpetrator
of rocket attacks or if he is one of the political leaders. No one has
immunity."
Hamas officials threatened an escalation in violence if their leaders
were killed while Ahmed Yusef, an adviser to Mr Haniyeh, offered to
discuss a truce in the West Bank and Gaza if Israel stopped its "mad
attacks".
Shirel Friedman, 32, was buried yesterday in Sderot's cemetery as
Israeli jets hit four targets in Gaza and Palestinian militants fired
eight rockets, one hitting the outskirts of the city of Ashkelon. There
were no serious injuries. Ms Friedman was killed on Monday night when a
Qassam rocket landed next to a car in the town centre, destroying it and
spraying shrapnel in the vicinity. She was the eleventh person to be
killed by a rocket fired from Gaza at Israel in the last three years.
Around 50 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli reprisals in the last
week.
Thousands of residents of Sderot have already left the town in the past
week and at least another thousand left yesterday on buses laid on by
the town council and national government.
Many of the people boarding the coaches had no idea where they were
going. Others were more choosy, insisting they would go either to a good
hotel or a town where they had relatives.
Daniel and Itala Brecanovinsky arrived in Sderot seven months ago from
Peru. They said they did not care where they went so long as they could
take their two daughters to safety. "We first went through this when we
first arrived in November last year. It is much worse this time. We have
been scared since the beginning," said Mrs Brecanovinsky.
A bus turned up and some of the soldiers organising the evacuation said,
"Hurry up, it's the last one". The destination was Givat Aviva, but few
knew where it was. Some held back hoping for something better. A further
bus came, but for the same destination.
Alec Chernovsky, 21, got on the last bus. "We have been here for two
hours and no one knows what is going on. I just have to go because it's
scary here. I don't know when it's going to be safe to come back."
Dima Gimpel, 23, said he was happy to stay after seeing his family off
on a coach. "The Qassams are no problem. I am happy to have the house to
myself for a bit."
Earlier in the day, the town centre was packed with cars as if
everything was normal. A cable television company had sent its employees
to distribute pastries and chocolate-flavoured milk and wish Sderot
residents happy holidays. Today is the Shavuot Jewish holiday in which
Jews celebrate God's delivery of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai.
At the funeral of the Ms Friedman, residents vented their anger at the
mayor, Eli Moyal, who was led away from the graveside by five police
officers. On Monday night, crowds stoned the town hall and tried to
prevent Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister, from leaving after a meeting.
Although Qassam rockets have been falling on Sderot for six years, the
majority of houses lack reinforced rooms. In a statement, Ehud Olmert,
the prime minister told the residents that the government would
reinforce homes but warned, "there is no immediate solution to the
Qassams and there is no absolute solution either."