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A sizable majority of Palestinians support the continued kidnappings of Israelis as well as persistent Qassam rocket fire as a means to pressure Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, according to a new poll commissioned by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center, the results of which were released Sunday. Of the 1,197 respondents from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, 66.8 percent expressed support for further kidnappings of Israeli civilians while 77.2 percent backed the Kerem Shalom tunnel operation and subsequent kidnapping of Israel Defense Forces Corporal Gilad Shalit. Nonetheless, just 47.7 percent of those polled said they believed the...

The firing of a rocket from the Gaza Strip to Ashkelon's center on Tuesday constitutes an unequivocal invitation by Hamas to war. The Palestinians who launched the rocket apparently are members of the Hamas military wing, but it's quite possible that either an Iranian or Syrian element interested in intensifying the military conflict with Israel spurred the move. The firing is the longest-range rocket attack to have taken place from Palestinian territory. Rockets previously have hit Ashkelon's outskirts, and were generally aimed at the area's power station, but Israel refrained from cutting off electricity to Gaza. It's quite possible that...

Jul. 4, 2006 19:52 | Updated Jul. 4, 2006 20:24 Kassam rocket lands inside Ashkelon for first time By JPOST.COM STAFF Despite ongoing IDF operations in the northern Gaza Strip, a Kassam rocket landed Tuesday evening in Ashkelon proper - the first time the city center has witnessed such an attack. No one was wounded in the attack, despite the fact that the rocket hit a school in a populated area in the south of the city. Children playing soccer outside an Ort school on Rehov Ben Zvi were thrown back by the force of the explosion, witnesses reported, but...

The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Hamas' military wing, took responsibility for the Qassam rocket attack on Ashkelon. In a message, the organization said it fired the rocket from northern Gaza. The Qassam rocket landed near a school in central Ashkelon and caused light damage to the building. There were no injuries.

Minister of Defense Amir Peretz said today that the government will not be moved to order military strikes on Gaza because of protests and demonstrations by Israeli citizens who are under threat from the Palestinian Authority. His comments were made during an address at the Caesaria Conference on Israeli domestic and foreign policies. Peretz was referring to the ongoing protest actions taken by the citizens of Sderot, who have suffered more than 1,000 PA rocket attacks since Israel's August 2005 unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. Residents have held protest vigils, hunger strikes and have closed down their city in recent weeks....

Cohen family, who lives near town's rocket alert system's speakers, says its pet parrot constantly screams 'Red Dawn' Cookie the parrot, who belongs to the Cohen family in Sderot, has apparently undergone a trauma as a result of the ongoing rocket barrage the town has been subjected to in the last months. The proximity of the Cohen's house to the town's rocket alert system's loudspeakers, which go off whenever a Qassam is launched at the area and sound the words "Red Dawn," seems to have affected the parrot badly. "Once he used to curse and talk like a parrot, but...

With no peace partner, Israel must assure security By GARY ROSENBLATT Israel’s decisions to build a security barrier between itself and the Palestinians and to disengage from large areas of land conquered in the Six Day War of 1967 against the Arabs are part of a new and sobering recognition that since the two peoples cannot live together, they are both better off living separately. Studying the Mideast conflict and the long history of attempted peace negotiations, one must conclude that the only thing Israelis can do to truly satisfy their Palestinian neighbors is give up their Jewish state and...

Plast-inian, the PLASTIC language of the Arab Muslim 'Palestinians' - PLASTINIAN - Whether the (so called) 'Palestinian' Arab Muslims are a "nation" that is 39 years old (since 1967) or a bit more than that or even if you believe that they are just another group of Arabs, one thing is certain, they have contributed some vocabulary, Take some PLASTINIAN lessons: Hamas' terrorists greed for higher salaries (2006) = "starving Palestinians". Killing it's own people (like Muhammad Al Dura 2000, Rafah 2002 in a cave & now Gaza beach 2006) = "israeli aggression". Arab settlers (at the 1800's and their...

Maj.-Gen. Meir Kalifi has a meeting scheduled with Amir Peretz Tuesday night during which the deputy head of the IDF Ground Forces Command plans to present the defense minister with the conclusions and findings of the military probe that he has led into the explosion that killed seven innocent Palestinians on Friday in the Gaza Strip. But whatever the investigation reveals will no longer make a difference, since even while defense officials say there is a chance the probe will exonerate the IDF, for the military the damage has already been done. In the eyes of the world, the IDF...

Four Palestinians were wounded when a Kassam rocket launched by operatives at Israel landed near a home in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip. Seven Kassam rockets landed around Sderot and in the western Negev overnight Friday and Saturday morning. There were no reported wounded or damage incurred.

Kassam Rocket Hits Ashkelon Industrial Park 21:30 Mar 25, '06 / 25 Adar 5766 (IsraelNN.com) A Kassam rocket launched on the Sabbath struck and damaged a building in the Ashkelon Industrial Park. There were no injuries. A second rocket landed in an open field, once again, without resulting in injuries. A third rocket landed in the hothouse area of the community of Netiv Ha’Asarah. No injuries were reported. On Friday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz stated a solution to the ongoing Kassam rocket attacks would be found, adding that he does not believe they will be eliminated totally...

IDF artillery kept up intensive shelling of Gaza Strip Kassam launch sites in response to a Friday afternoon Kassam attack on Kibbutz Carmiya in the western Negev. Four members of the Amar family were wounded in the attack, including their seven-month-old son Osher. Osher, who sustained a head wound, was initially listed in serious condition, but was later downgraded to moderate to light after he underwent a CT scan in Soroka Hospital. His mother Bat-El, suffering mainly from shock and light wounds, was also sent to Soroka. Her husband Yuval and Yitzik, a close family relative, were both lightly wounded...

Israel Acting PM Olmert Speaks to Israel CabinetBy Joel Leyden Israel News Agency Jerusalem----January 5.....The following was communicated by the Israel Government Press Office in regards to Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stay in hospital. Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's stated at the start of the special Israel Government Cabinet meeting this morning: "Today, Thursday, we are holding an extraordinary Cabinet meeting in light of the state of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's health. At this time, we are all praying and full of hope for the Prime Minister's quick recovery. We are all closely monitoring developments in these difficult hours...

Two Palestinians were killed and three wounded late Saturday in an IAF air strike in the northern Gaza Strip, a Palestinian official said, the first fatal attack in the border area since Israel declared it a "no-go" zone. The IDF said the terrorists were spotted preparing to fire a rocket from the area of Elei Sinai, one of the 21 settlements evacuated during the pullout from Gaza. The air force fired at the Palestinians and identified a hit, the military said. Relatives identified the dead as Motaz Hamdouna, 26, and Hamza Hamdouna, 22. Speaking to reporters at the Gaza hospital...

Thursday, November 03, 2005 20:42 IST JNW HEADLINE NEWS Israeli kids under Kassam threat By Ryan Jones November 3rd, 2005 Israeli kindergarten children are under constant threat from “Palestinian” artillery crews that would love nothing more to score a direct hit on their classrooms, and their parents have just about had enough of the situation. “I am very very fearful for my children. It doesn’t matter how much you guide children and tell them to put their hands over their head. A hand over the head will not protect them from a Kassam which will open a hole in the...

Security forces arrested eight Islamic Jihad fugitives in raids overnight in the West Bank city of Jenin and the village Fahame south of the city. They were said to be involved in attempting to manufacture homemade rockets similar to Kassams to be used in attacks against Israel. Troops were dispatched to the area to search for the wanted men before dawn Monday, after intelligence information had been received about their operations. An IDF soldier sustained light wounds when a bomb was detonated near the troops. He was taken to hospital in Israel. Security officials said cell members had carried out...

Hezbollah slams Paris for decision to take “al-Manar” off the air Movement's deputy general secretary, Sheik Naim Kassam, says, “The case has proven that France is still an imperialist nation”. NRG Maariv Hezbollah's flag. In response to France’s decision to take the Hezbollah affiliated television station “al-Manar” off the air in the republic, the Lebanese terror organization’s deputy general secretary, Sheik Naim Kassam, slammed Paris and said, “The case has proven that France is still an imperialist nation”. According to Kassam, “If France thinks that it can block “al-Manar”, it is deeply mistaken. It is no more than a tool...

IDF to remain in Gaza indefinitely CoS Ye'elon: We will not withdraw until the Kassam threat to Sderot has been eliminated. Plans to call up reserve units shelved for now. Amir Buhbut CoS Lt. Gen. Ye'elonIDF CoS Lt. General Moshe (Boogie) Ye'elon has said that the IDF will remain in Gaza for as long as is neccessary. "Operation Days of Penitence was launched in oder to put an end to the Kassam menace, which has become intolerable, and until this is achieved IDF forces will not leave Gaza". Speaking to reporters, he emphasized that the IDF was not out...

A Kassam rocket hit a path between two houses in the Southern town of Sderot Wednesday afternoon killing two children, including a baby aged four. Magen David Adom paramedics who arrived at the scene of the attack on Moshe Rabenu Street also treated seven people, one of whom suffered serious wounds and the other six were moderately wounded. Paramedics also assisted 14 other people, who suffered from either light shrapnel-wounds or shock. The wounded have been taken to the Barsilai Hospital in Ashkelon and the Soroka Hospital in Beersheba. Sderot mayor Eli Moyal said that it is not the time...

Some updates from the Ma'ariv ticker:Kassam lands in Sderot Amir Buhbut A Kassam missle landed on Nathan Elbaz Street in Sderot. There were no injuries. (2004-08-03 18:51:39.0) Explosion reported near IDF troops in Gaza - no injuries Amir Buhbut An explosive charge was detonated close to IDF troops near the anti-terrorism barrier in the southern Gaza Strip early Tuesday evening. There were no injuries. (2004-08-03 18:44:16.0)Palestinian arrested after trying to stab soldier in HebronAmir Buhbut A Palestinian was arrested this afternoon after trying to stab an IDF soldier in the Old City of Hebron. According to the Palestinians, the man...