Israeli PM Threatens 'Disproportionate Response' to Palestinian Rockets
By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
01 February 2009
Fresh Palestinian attacks on Israel from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip have brought threats of renewed warfare.
Palestinian militants fired rockets and mortars at Israel from Gaza, testing a shaky cease-fire. One rocket slammed into a kibbutz collective farm near a kindergarten but failed to explode.
The attacks topped the agenda at Israel's weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said at the end of fighting in Gaza two weeks ago Israel had warned that if Palestinian shooting resumes there would be "disproportionate" retaliation.
"We will not reveal when, where or how we will respond," he said, "but we will respond."
Sporadic Palestinian rocket, mortar and shooting attacks have violated the Gaza cease-fire during the past week and Israel has responded with air strikes.
The Islamic militant group Hamas, which rules Gaza, has not claimed responsibility for the attacks but has not condemned them either.
Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha said Israel wants a cease-fire for free, but it would have to pay a price: namely, opening border crossings and lifting the crippling blockade on Gaza. Israel says that will not happen until Hamas releases a captive Israeli soldier held in Gaza for two and a half years.
Egypt is trying to hammer out a long-term cease-fire acceptable to both sides.
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