Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Panic and protests in the streets

Debka:

After two brothers were seriously injured by one of the 37 missiles to hit Sderot and its environs Friday and Saturday, hundreds of protesters from the town were stopped by police from reaching defense minister Ehud Barak’s Tel Aviv home Saturday night. Barak who visited Sderot early Sunday was accused of responsibility for the town’s ruinous plight. Overnight, doctors amputated one of the crushed legs of 8-year old Osher Twita, who is still unconconscious, and operated on his older brother Rami. Their mother and a third brother were among the 11 shock victims. Serious damage was caused homes in Sderot and Netiv Ha’asara greenhouses.

As Sderot citizens set out Sunday for the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem, ministers and lawmakers demanded sweeping military action, targeting of Hamas and Jihad Islami leaders and tighter economic sanctions against Gaza.

Sderot leaders said that if “strategic military action” is withheld to stem the missile assaults, whose accuracy is improving, the town must be evacuated.

So far, Olmert has barred both options. He takes off for Berlin later Sunday after a conference with the defense minister.

Overnight, Israel carried out four air strikes against Palestinian metal workshops in Gaza City and Rafah and a Hamas arms depot.

DEBKAfile’s military sources report: Ehud Barak has more than once threatened firmer and broader military action to stop the missile blitz from Gaza. So far he and the prime minister have kept the military on a tight leash.

Israeli ground forces are restricted to areas 2 km inside Gaza, usually in the north, whereas the missile fire comes from the villages and camps deeper inside the enclave, which Israeli forces are ordered not to enter.

Thursday, an Israeli infantry unit discovered for the first time new underground silos for shooting missiles by remote control, making the launchers and crews harder than ever to detect by air surveillance drones. Military sources believed they were installed with the help of the Lebanese Hizballah.