Qassam rocket strikes an area next to Peretz`s home in Sderot

Source: Haaretz, 16-5-2007
A Qassam rocket struck a home next to the Sderot residence of Defense (War) Minister Amir Peretz early on Wednesday, causing damage but no injuries.
Peretz was not at home at the time of the attack, part of a barrage of Palestinian rockets that also hit a basketball court in the town Wednesday morning.
Nearly 30 rockets have rocked the western Negev since Tuesday. A woman was seriously injured and some 30 others moderately to lightly wounded in the Tuesday attacks.
No new injuries were reported Wednesday, when as many as eight Qassams hit the Negev. One of the Qassams landed near a kibbutz in the Ashkelon Coast regional council, while two others fell north of Sderot.
Prior to the Wednesday attacks, government sources had said that "Israel" had decided to refrain from immediately responding to the Tuesday salvos.
The decision followed an assessment shared by "Israeli" defense` officials and Palestinian security sources, according to which Hamas is trying to provoke a fight with "Israel" in the hopes that an "Israeli" military response would calm the Fatah-Hamas fighting by uniting the two against a common enemy.
Hamas fired at least 21 Qassam rockets at Sderot and the western Negev Tuesday, against the background of another day of fierce factional fighting between Hamas and Fatah in the Gaza Strip, which left at least 15Palestinians dead.
The rockets wounded 26 settlers, including one female settler who was moderately to seriously hurt and a man who was moderately hurt. Most of the others suffered from shock. As a result of the barrage, the public bomb shelters in Sderot were opened for the first time.
Hamas openly claimed credit for the strikes and announced it plans to continue them.
According to "Israeli" government sources, the current rules of engagement in Gaza will remain in force, but if the "Israel" Army spots specific targets that exceed these limits, it will be able to ask Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense (War) Minister Amir Peretz for special approval for a strike. Consequently, a slight but not major escalation in the "Israeli" Military`s offensive operations is likely, security sources said.
In addition, the diplomatic-security cabinet will meet this coming Sunday to discuss "Israel`s" policy toward Gaza. That forum will discuss various options for intensifying military activity against the Qassam launches, but is not expected to approve a large-scale ground operation.
The existing guidelines permit the assassination of those involved in making or launching rockets, limited ground incursions into the area just over the Gaza-"Israel" border and attacks on anyone seen preparing to launch a rocket.
The barrages on the Negev began Tuesday afternoon, but the first rockets did not hit Sderot until 6:30 P.M. One of those rockets struck a house and wounded the settlers there, one moderately to seriously wounded. Three other houses also took direct hits.
Hamas said the barrage, the heaviest since Independence Day, was fired to mark Nakba ("Catastrophe") Day, the anniversary of "Israel`s" establishment. Palestinians mark this day according to its Gregorian date, May 15, while "Israelis" use the Hebrew date.