At least one Kassam rocket and several mortar shells were fired by Gaza terrorists at Jewish communities in the western Negev shortly before 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. At least one mortar attack was launched against the western Negev late Tuesday night as well.
The landing site of the rocket was identified in an open area near Kibbutz Aza, in the Gaza Belt region. There were no casualties and no damage was reported.
The terrorists waited until the region had first received a fuel delivery through the Nahal Oz Crossing, which opened despite Tuesday's night mortar attack and contrary to previous commitments by Defense Minister Ehud Barak to close the crossings in response to every attack launched by Gaza terrorists.
He had reopened the crossings after a 24-hour period of quiet with no rocket or mortar attacks launched from the region. Approximately 70 trucks delivered foodstuffs, equipment, medicine and other humanitarian aid.
Wednesday's attack came three hours before the Security Cabinet was scheduled to decide how to deal with the increasing frequency and intensity of rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza on the western Negev and Ashkelon.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni are expected to discuss with top IDF, security and defense establishment brass the question of whether the time has arrived for a major military operation in Gaza.
More than 200 Kassam rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Jewish communities in the western Negev over the past month.
Livni, who called the meeting, said Israel has reached its limit with the missile fire, and that Barak's current policy of closing the Gaza crossings in response to the attacks has not been effective in ending them. "Fire must be answered with fire," she said Tuesday during a visit to the rocket-battered city of Sderot. Livni said she is recommending an immediate military response to every rocket or shell fired from Gaza from now on.
Olmert, who was together with Livni in Sderot, promised the besieged residents during his visit that action would be taken to end the rocket fire.
Although he was noncommittal about what action would be taken at the Security Cabinet meeting, Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said the current situation could not continue.
"It is clear that Israel cannot accept a new status quo in which we abide by our understandings that were achieved through Egypt, while at the same time Hamas openly, flagrantly and deliberately breaks those understandings," Regev told Israel National News prior to the meeting.