Peres visits Sderot as Qassams hit city
President says he insisted on coming to southern town despite rocket barrages which began before his arrival. Color Red alert system activated during visit; rocket lands south of city. Earlier, Peres watches IAF strike in Gaza from Shin Bet headquarters in south
The firing of Qassam rockets towards the southern town of Sderot on Tuesday evening did not stop even as President Shimon Peres visited the city. During the visit, the Color Red alert system was activated, and a rocket landed south of the city.
Shortly before the president's arrival, a Qassam rocket hit a house near the place he planned to visit. Some of the president's would-be hosts suffered from shock. A 14-year-old girl was moderately injured by shrapnel.
Thirteen rockets were fired at Sderot and the western Negev on Tuesday evening.
Peres arrived in Sderot in order to strengthen the residents. "The city's residents should be proud, and I am proud of them," he said.
The president explained why he chose to arrive in the city despite the rocket barrages which began before his arrival.
"I am a citizen like all the citizens of Israel, and I cannot change my route and return to Jerusalem. Therefore, I insisted on visiting Sderot despite the Qassams," he said.
Earlier Tuesday, Peres was treated to a front row view of an IDF strike in Gaza, in which seven Hamas operatives were killed, during a Tuesday visit to the Shin Bet’s control center in southern Israel.
Palestinians reported that the Israeli army fired a missile at a Hamas police post in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. According to the sources, several police officers were hurt and the post was heavily damaged.
The IDF stated that the strike was carried out in response to the Qassam rockets fired at the southern town of Sderot earlier Tuesday.
Visiting the injured (Photo: Herzel Yosef)
IDF sources said that the post struck was not directly linked to the Qassam launching Tuesday morning, but stated that "any Hamas target is attackable, like the targets of other organizations.”
The sources added that "while attacking the cells firing the rockets, our message is clear – as long as Hamas fires we'll attacks its assets, and of course its activists involved in terrorism.”
'Shin bet officials Israel's defensive shield'
Commenting on his visit and the IDF strike, Peres noted that “Hamas’ actions make a Palestinian state a virtual impossibility.”
The president also commended the Shin Bet officials that he had observed, stating that “these young men are Israel’s defensive shield, working around the clock to keep our country safe and secure.”
Peres further noted that “Hamas will have to be held accountable to its own people and explain why it is dividing the Palestinian people, and making the reality of a Palestinian state a virtual impossibility.”
During his visit to the south, the state president, along with Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim, also took the time to visit the wounded from Monday’s suicide bombing in Dimona, who are hospitalized in Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheva.
“The Israeli government is doing all it can to combat terror. Ever since the Second Lebanon War we are working very hard to fight terrorism and are making great strides in this respect,” said Peres.
