After all, no one can argue that a day care center is a military target.

A Palestinian rocket exploded Monday next to a day care center crowded with toddlers in southern Israel, sparking anger and panic in the frequently targeted town of Sderot and bringing warnings of retribution from Israeli leaders.

No one was hurt, but the blast and the panic underlined Israel's ineffectiveness in the face of the primitive rockets, which fall daily despite frequent Israeli airstrikes and occasional ground offensives.

Terrified mothers rushed to comfort their screaming babies, schoolchildren ran for cover, and angry parents said they wouldn't send their children back to school until they get classrooms outside town.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged to provide "better security for the residents," indicating he would step up the Israeli offensive against Palestinian militants.

"We will not limit ourselves in regards to targeting the rocket launchers and those who dispatch them," Olmert said at a news conference in Jerusalem. "The instruction given to the army is to destroy every 'Qassam' rocket launcher and anyone who is involved in their launching against the residents of Israel."

The people of Sderot have been under siege for some time now, as the Terrorstinians continue to bombard this civilian community with Qassam rockets. The international community has remained silent, despite teh fact that these attacks violate every norm of international law.

Olmert's new policy is the minimum step that should be taken in the face of continued attacks upon the civilian population of Israel.

Posted by: Greg at 09:24 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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