Israel debates action against Gaza rockets

Prime minister Ehud Olmert convened his top ministers today to discuss Israel’s response to the latest wave of Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

The move came as public pressure for retaliation grew after an attack that nearly hit a crowded nursery school.

Ahead of today’s meeting of the Security Cabinet, several ministers said they favoured cutting off electricity, water or fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip to put pressure on the area’s Hamas rulers to halt the rocket fire. Others were pressing for broad or pinpointed military operations to hunt the militants.

Islamic Jihad, a radical Palestinian militant group, has carried out this week’s rocket fire. But Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for ensuring quiet since it now controls Gaza.

The meeting came as Tony Blair was in Jerusalem in his new role as representative of the “Quartet” of Middle East mediators.

The former British prime minister scheduled a series of meetings today, including talks with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. Blair is expected to be in the area for about 10 days before reporting at the end of the month to the Quartet, which is comprised of the US, Russia, the European Union and the UN.

Pressure has been mounting on the Israeli government to respond to the persistent rocket fire from Gaza, especially after Monday’s attack next to a day-care centre in the southern town of Sderot. No one was injured, but the explosion caused widespread panic.

“The government should declare a state of emergency,” Sderot resident Alon Davidi told Army Radio. “Gazans shouldn’t be able to have normal lives until the last child in Sderot can walk peacefully and calmly in the street.”

Later today, Sderot residents planned a large demonstration near Olmert’s office in Jerusalem to demand the government stop the rockets.

A number of top officials, including Barak, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Vice Premier Haim Ramon, have endorsed limiting or cutting electricity, water or fuel supplies to Gaza. The impoverished strip relies almost entirely on Israel for the resources.

At least two other ministers were pressing for military action.

“The answer has to be military … I think we need to decide on a few operations against the rocket launchers,” Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit told Israel Radio. “I don’t rule out an incursion … and taking the area for two or three weeks.”

Sheetrit said he opposed cutting off the supply of water, electricity or fuel, saying he believes it would violate international law.

Israel’s Defence Ministry declared a state of emergency in Israeli communities near Gaza yesterday, a step sometimes taken before a military operation.

The rocket fire has persisted almost daily for six years, abating occasionally with ceasefires.

Although the rockets are inaccurate, they cause widespread panic in communities near Gaza and can be deadly. Twelve people have died in rocket attacks.

The rockets have perplexed the high-tech Israeli military, which has been unable to develop a way to halt the crude rockets, which lack navigation systems and are in the air for a very short time.