The government has moved to postpone the fortification of schools in Ashkelon, where rockets fired by Gaza terrorists hit a school this week, setting off a city-wide campaign to keep children at home.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak says he is considering the matter, but has asked for several more reports before deliberating the question of fortification in the cabinet. The delay means the decision is likely to be postponed until the current cabinet is replaced by a government assembled by Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu.
A related decision on whether to fortify schools in areas more than seven kilometers (4.4 miles) from Gaza has been postponed as well. The government has already decided not to fortify other buildings in those areas, choosing instead to focus on the development of defense systems that are expected to intercept and destroy incoming rockets.
Government spokesman Mark Regev refused to confirm or deny the reports. Regev told Israel National News when contacted that on Friday he responds "only to questions regarding urgent matters."
Proponents of increased fortification argue that due to the larger, more accurate rockets fired by Gaza terrorists in recent weeks, the government must reconsider its stance and begin fortifying buildings outside the seven-kilometer “Gaza Belt.”
Opponents say that fortifying buildings in every city within rocket range of either Gaza or southern Lebanon would cost the state billions of shekels, and may be an unending task if Gaza terrorists continue expanding their range of fire.
Complicating the issue, the school damaged by rocket fire earlier this week had already been fortified. However, the fortifications were penetrated by the 170-mm. Grad rocket used in the attack, which was an improved and more destructive model than the Grad rockets previously used by Gaza terrorists. Only a handful of the improved rockets have been put to use.