Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni headed to Egypt Thursday morning to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak about renewing the ceasefire in Gaza. In the meantime, ten rockets and mortar shells struck the western Negev.
Mubarak issued an urgent invitation to Livni in an attempt to renew Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas. Livni is expected to tell the Egyptians that Israel will not continue the ceasefire and will strike Gaza soon. She will also meet with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu Al-Rat and Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman.
Hamas terrorists fired over 80 rockets and mortar shells Wednesday on communities surrounding Gaza. Rockets scored direct hits on several homes, although miraculously no one was hurt. Dozens of people went into shock as a result of the heavy fire.
The security cabinet met for several hours in response to the attacks and decided on a series of steps against Gaza which have not yet been made public nor implemented. Opposition leaders Binyamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman called on the government to attack Gaza immediately.
Lieberman, head of the Israel is Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu) party, also attacked Livni’s visit to Egypt. He said that Israeli leaders should stop seeking Egypt’s permission for their actions. “If Mubarak has something to say, he can come to Jerusalem,” he said.