Suffering direct hits on several houses, residents from the southern Gaza Jewish communities burned tires to block the main road between Gaza and Khan Yunis, two major Arab cities. "The Arabs don't let us live in quiet, and we will not let them have quiet" until the army does something, said one resident.
Several people from Kfar Darom took over a vacated Arab building, figuring that terrorists will not destroy its own houses with mortar shells. They later left the house under IDF orders.
One shell hit the home of Chana Bart, who was partially paralyzed three years ago in a terrorist shooting on the main road to the Jewish communities in Gush Katif. Her home suffered damage but she escaped further injuries. Shells exploded next to a school in Neve Dekalim and a mobile home Friday morning, causing damage but no injuries.
Terrorists also hit the three Jewish communities in northern Gaza. Since IDF soldiers moved out of Khan Yunis yesterday, more than 33 shells have exploded on Jewish communities in the Gaza coast areas in southern Israel. The number of shells and rockets fired at Gush Katif since the start of the Oslo War in September 2000 has now surpassed 5,000.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon "is trying to break Gush Katif residents and achieve political results by not acting to prevent the shootings," said Aran Sternberg, spokesman for the Gaza Coast Regional Council. Gershon Yona, administrator of the Kfar Darom community where three shells exploded Friday morning, charged Sharon with keeping the Army from retaliating because he is more interested in not disturbing upcoming Palestinian Authority elections.
Military correspondent Haggai Huberman reported in the HaTzofeh newspaper Friday that the IDF has purposely not embarked on a major campaign in order to save the required reserve manpower for the "disengagement" expulsion/evacuation plan.
A senior military source says a comprehensive battle to liquidate the phenomenon of mortar shell cells and launchers would require a call-up of reserve forces to allow the army to take control of large areas in Gaza, as it did in Operation Defensive Shield in Samaria in 2002. By government order, however, the army is saving the reserve forces for the disengagement plan. Up to 5,000 policemen and soldiers are expected to be utilized to pull residents out of their homes and make sure they do not return.
Under normal circumstances, reserve soldiers may be called up only a certain amount of days each year. Israel's governmental echelons are not permitting the army to call up the necessary reserve forces in order to save them for July, when the expulsion is set to begin, Huberman reported.
The military source told Huberman that from the army's standpoint, the mortar shells threat on the Jewish Gaza residents is not the number-one threat in importance. Higher on the list are attempted terrorist infiltrations into Jewish communities, attempted shooting attacks on the highways, and the tunnel-bombs dug towards military outposts and communities.
The IDF Spokesman responded: "The IDF is doing the utmost to fulfill its mission, and spares no resources."
Beginning this coming Sunday, residents will hold protest vigils against the incessant mortar shell onslaught at three central locations: outside the Defense Ministry complex in Tel Aviv, opposite the IDF Central Command headquarters in Be'er Sheva, and at the Gaza Division headquarters in Gaza. The protests will be held Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11 AM to 4 PM. Small groups of Gush Katif residents will man the vigils, and they expect to be joined by supporters who live nearby.
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Several people from Kfar Darom took over a vacated Arab building, figuring that terrorists will not destroy its own houses with mortar shells. They later left the house under IDF orders.
One shell hit the home of Chana Bart, who was partially paralyzed three years ago in a terrorist shooting on the main road to the Jewish communities in Gush Katif. Her home suffered damage but she escaped further injuries. Shells exploded next to a school in Neve Dekalim and a mobile home Friday morning, causing damage but no injuries.
Terrorists also hit the three Jewish communities in northern Gaza. Since IDF soldiers moved out of Khan Yunis yesterday, more than 33 shells have exploded on Jewish communities in the Gaza coast areas in southern Israel. The number of shells and rockets fired at Gush Katif since the start of the Oslo War in September 2000 has now surpassed 5,000.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon "is trying to break Gush Katif residents and achieve political results by not acting to prevent the shootings," said Aran Sternberg, spokesman for the Gaza Coast Regional Council. Gershon Yona, administrator of the Kfar Darom community where three shells exploded Friday morning, charged Sharon with keeping the Army from retaliating because he is more interested in not disturbing upcoming Palestinian Authority elections.
Military correspondent Haggai Huberman reported in the HaTzofeh newspaper Friday that the IDF has purposely not embarked on a major campaign in order to save the required reserve manpower for the "disengagement" expulsion/evacuation plan.
A senior military source says a comprehensive battle to liquidate the phenomenon of mortar shell cells and launchers would require a call-up of reserve forces to allow the army to take control of large areas in Gaza, as it did in Operation Defensive Shield in Samaria in 2002. By government order, however, the army is saving the reserve forces for the disengagement plan. Up to 5,000 policemen and soldiers are expected to be utilized to pull residents out of their homes and make sure they do not return.
Under normal circumstances, reserve soldiers may be called up only a certain amount of days each year. Israel's governmental echelons are not permitting the army to call up the necessary reserve forces in order to save them for July, when the expulsion is set to begin, Huberman reported.
The military source told Huberman that from the army's standpoint, the mortar shells threat on the Jewish Gaza residents is not the number-one threat in importance. Higher on the list are attempted terrorist infiltrations into Jewish communities, attempted shooting attacks on the highways, and the tunnel-bombs dug towards military outposts and communities.
The IDF Spokesman responded: "The IDF is doing the utmost to fulfill its mission, and spares no resources."
Beginning this coming Sunday, residents will hold protest vigils against the incessant mortar shell onslaught at three central locations: outside the Defense Ministry complex in Tel Aviv, opposite the IDF Central Command headquarters in Be'er Sheva, and at the Gaza Division headquarters in Gaza. The protests will be held Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11 AM to 4 PM. Small groups of Gush Katif residents will man the vigils, and they expect to be joined by supporters who live nearby.
Click here for our free Daily Newsletter from Israel