Israel Air Force jets attacked a Hamas headquarters in southern Gaza Wednesday afternoon, killing at least four terrorists. The attack on the command post in the southern Gaza border city of Rafah also injured about 20.
This was the first IAF attack of its kind in some six months, ever since Hamas declared a ceasefire with Israel and then promptly broke it.
The attack was decided upon at a security consultation in Defense Minister Amir Peretz's office Tuesday night, following a barrage of at least 20 Kassam rockets on Sderot and environs leading to the hospitalization of 30 people. Peretz said that Israel cannot afford to accept a situation in which its citizens are attacked.
Today, however, he said that Israel will not allow Hamas to draw it into military responses, and that Israel will decide on its own when and how to retaliate.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has scheduled a security consultation for this afternoon [Wednesday].
Last night [Tuesday], Israel Air Force helicopters responded by firing shells at open areas from where Kassams had been fired.
Nine more Kassam rockets were fired at Israel since this morning. One of them scored a direct hit on a home adjacent to that of Sderot resident Defense Minister Peretz, and another one landed on a basketball court in the city. Others landed outside Sderot and Ashkelon. No one was injured.