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Israel Launches Offensive in Gaza, Palestinians Launch Rockets at Sderot

Israel Launches Offensive in Gaza, Palestinians Launch Rockets at Sderot
The Israeli Defense Forces launched an attack in Gaza city aimed at stopping Kassam rocket launches at Israel. In retaliation Palestinian militants fired at least two Kassam rockets at the Israeli town Sderot, critically injuring one person. The rocket landed only a kilometer from Louise Arbour, a High Commissioner for Human Rights for the UN who was touring the long bombarded town.

Israeli soldiers infiltrated Gaza`s Zeitoun neighborhood, taking up sniper positions and storming the house of Wael Hassanin, a local Hamas leader, who lives in the neighborhood. As Israeli soldiers called out for Hassanin and his brother, Ibrahim to surrender, Islamic militants made their way to the area where a gunbattle began. Hassanin was killed in the fighting while his brother was arrested and taken into custody by Israel. A 70-year-old woman was also killed in the battle. The neighborhoods main electrical transformer was destroyed during the fighting.

Israel has carried out a growing number of military operations mostly in Beit Hanoun, where the Kassam rockets are mainly fired from, in a largely ineffective attempt to stop the attacks on the south-western town of Sderot. Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, has sayed in several occasions that there isn`t a "magic" solution to the Kassam rocket yet mounting pressure for action has taken its toll as Israeli military leaders call for larger operations against Palestinian militants, who, Israeli intelligence claim to be gaining strength and arms through tunnels connecting the Egyptian Sinai peninsula. The Israeli military is concerned that if action isn`t taken promptly against the arms-buildup in Gaza Israel will pay dearly in the future.