Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip will have rockets capable of reaching Beersheba within two years, Israel’s military intelligence chief said.
Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin told Ha’aretz in an interview published Thursday that, by 2010, “every community within a 40 kilometer (24 mile) range may come within range of the Hamas rockets: Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, even Beersheba.”
The remarks came a day after a Palestinian rocket hit a mall in Ashkelon, 6 miles north of Gaza, wounding at least 31 people. Beersheba, further inland, is the commercial hub of southern Israel.
Wednesday’s attack drew calls in Israel for massive military action against the Hamas leadership in Gaza, though this was seen as unlikely before President Bush wraps up his current visit to the region.
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