Moyal: Palestinians are scared
צילום: אורי פורת
Mayor: Palestinians scared to fire rockets
Sderot mayor: Palestinians not firing rockets because they are scared of harsh response due to PM's condition; however, by Saturday afternoon Palestinian fire two rockets
The Palestinians have not fired a Qassam rocket in recent days because of "fears of a harsh Israeli response due to Sharon's condition," Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal said Saturday.
However, despite Moyal's analysis, by Saturday afternoon the IDF detected the launching of two Qassam rockets at Israel. Both rockets, launched from the Beit Hanoun area, landed on the Palestinian side of the Erez crossing.
No injuries or damage were reported in the attack
Speaking at a forum in Be'er Sheva, Moyal said "the country doesn't understand what it means to have a city under Qassam attack. Children who are not sleeping at night, children who are again wetting their bed and are back to sleeping with their parents, unable to study"
"Overall, 200 Qassams landed after the disengagement," the Sderot mayor added. "Operation 'Blue Skies' and the IDF's response are not satisfactory. Following the latest barrages, none of the government ministers called to ask what's going on and no senior military official spoke to me."
IDF shells northern Gaza
Moyal added that a government that has no ability to safeguard Sderot should resign. Turning his attention to the Palestinians, he said: "As long as they're not begging for negotiations and are continuing to shell Sderot, they shouldn't sleep at night. I have no doubt we'll be going into Gaza, and not only through the air, again."
Knesset Member Matan Vilani (Labor,) who also attended the forum in Be'er Sheva, said the IDF may indeed stage a ground operation in Gaza should the situation escalate.
Meanwhile, the IDF began directing artillery fire at northern Gaza Qassam launching sites starting Saturday afternoon. The army also fired in deterrence over night.
