Following a direct hit Monday morning by a Qassam on a strategic facility inAshkelon, many government ministers are calling on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to end his policy of restraint.
Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman (Israel Our Home) told Ynet: "The State of Israel must act against the Qassams in a well-planned and organized manner. We must not respond merely in order to appease the public."
"Such an operation must cause a cessation of the Qassam fire plaguing the residents of Ashkelon, Sderot and the western Negev," he emphasized.
Minister Yitzhak Cohen (Shas), a resident of Ashkelon, declared that "the Palestinians need to know that there's a limit to restraint, and they're close to reaching it."
Minister for Jerusalem affairs Jacob Edery (Kadima) concurred, adding that "it's a shame that tardiness (in reacting) is hurting residents of Ashkelon, Sderot and the western Negev."
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Eli Yishai (Shas) told Ynet that "sand is leaving the hourglass of restraint towards Palestinians. We should target every Qassam launcher from the minute his intentions are clear, during the launching and after it."
Health Minister Yacov Ben Yizri (Pensioners Party) expressed similar, if more subtle, sentiments, saying "the Israeli policy of restraint will not last forever, and the response to continued rocket fire could be very painful."
Defense Minister Amir Peretz agreed with the calls for a response, saying, "we must operate against Qassam fire and rocket launching cells if we identify them before or after shooting. We must not let these cells get away."
Sources from the defense establishment said that most of the Qassam fire is execute by Islamic Jihad operatives.
Monday attacks
Palestinian gunmen launched a Qassam from northern Gaza Monday morning, which landed in the industrial area in Ashkelon, hitting a strategic facility. No injuries were reported, but a number of structures at the site were damaged.
Workers at the facility said the security officer at the site was alerted of the incoming rocket by beeper, as the “Color Red” alert system in Ashkelon is not operational. “We were told on the speaker system to enter protected areas,” one employee said. “We heard a blast – it was relatively short.”
Earlier Monday, two Qassam rockets fired from Gaza into Israel landed in open areas in the Negev's Eshkol Regional Council. There were no casualties or damages.
A total of fifty-six rockets were fired toward Israeli territory since the agreed upon truce went into effect last month.