Israel will hold itself to a limited military response to recent Hamas rocket
fire from the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office said Wednesday
that after consulting with security chiefs, he decided to order
stepped-up airstrikes against Palestinian rocket crews, but not to target
terrorist leaders or order a large-scale ground offensive in Gaza.
For the
first time in months, Hamas claimed responsibility for a rocket salvo
Tuesday that caused no casualties but stoked speculation that a full-scale
military confrontation is imminent. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas, who shares power with Hamas, described the barrage as a one-time event.
Hamas said it would no longer abide by a “truce” that terrorist groups declared in the Gaza Strip. In any case, the truce has been broken by almost daily rocket barrages into Israel.
