Palestinian resistance fighter hits against Israel

Gaza rocket lands close to Jerusalem

Hamas's long-range missile hits outskirts of city, making ground offensive by Israel in Gaza more likely

the Guardian,

16 November, 2012

A rocket fired from Gaza has landed close to Jerusalem, bringing closer the possibility of a ground offensive by Israeli troops in the three-day-old conflict.

Hamas said it had launched the long-range missile as air raid sirens sounded across the city at the start of Shabbat, the Jewish sabbath. It claimed it was targeting the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that a rocket struck on the city outskirts – believed to be the settlement block of Gush Etzion – causing no injuries. A photograph published by the Palestinian news agency, Maan, showed rocket vapour trails in the sky above Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem.

The city, which Israel claims as its "eternal and indivisible capital" and which is home to some of the holiest sites in the Islamic, Jewish and Christian faiths, is about 50 miles from Gaza – the maximum reach of the most powerful rockets in the militants' arsenals. Hamas described the missile as "an improved Qassam" named an M-75.

Earlier, sirens were activated for the second day in Tel Aviv and some residents reported hearing the "muffled boom" of an explosion. The Tel Aviv authorities said they were opening bomb shelters across the city.

Israel says militant groups in Gaza have taken possession of a large number of powerful weapons smuggled from Libya in recent months, including Fajr-5s, which have a range of up to 50 miles. Last month, a Russian-made Strela anti-aircraft missile was fired for the first time at an Israeli helicopter over Gaza, but missed.

As stakes in the conflict rose for the third day, the IDF said about 550 rockets had been fired from Gaza since the start of its military offensive against Gaza, called Operation Pillar of Defence, on Wednesday. A third of the missiles had been intercepted by its Iron Dome defence system.

The Israelis hit more than 600 targets in Gaza over the same period. Eighty-five targets were hit in 45 minutes in the early hours of Friday morning in one of the most intensive periods of bombardment since the offensive began.

Speculation about an imminent ground invasion mounted as tanks were seen stationed close to the Gaza border. The IDF has begun calling up 16,000 reservists, and the defence minister, Ehud Barak, authorised the military to extend the number to 30,000.

Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, told the BBC that a ground invasion could cost Israel international support. "Israel does have to bear in mind that it is when ground invasions have taken place in previous conflicts that they have lost international support and a great deal of sympathy around the world."

The Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, pledged that his country would "not leave Gaza on its own" and denounced Israel's offensive as "a blatant aggression against humanity". In a statement which will increase western concern that the conflict in Gaza is hardening anti-Israel sentiment in post-revolutionary Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East, he added: "Egypt today is not the Egypt of yesterday, and Arabs today are not the Arabs of yesterday."

His prime minister, Hesham Kandil, reiterated the message during a short visit to Gaza aimed at showing solidarity with the people. "The Egyptian people are supporting you. The Egyptian revolution will be side by side with the Palestinian people. The world should take responsibility in stopping this aggression," said Kandil.

Their comments came amid growing public anger in Egypt over Israel's military operation targeting Gaza, which was condemned in speeches in mosques and demonstrations. Protesters marched in the country's two largest cities, Cairo and Alexandria, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans against Israel.

Preaching at the al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, the prominent cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who was long barred from Egypt, likened Israel's attack to Bashar al-Assad's use of violence in Syria. "We say to the tyrant Israel, the day of your end is coming soon," he told a crowd, some of whom were wearing Palestinian scarves or carrying banners.

Other voices were more nuanced, reflecting the deep conflicts that many Egyptians feel in their country's relationship with Israel, with which it signed the Camp David peace treaty in 1979.

Under former leader Hosni Mubarak Egypt had become used to acting as a mediator between Palestinian groups – including those in Gaza – and Israel, a role the new Muslim Brotherhood-led government has continued to pursue, despite promising to take a harder line. Following the assault on Gaza, there has been evidence that the Brotherhood is being forced to be more assertive.

The crisis over Gaza is the first major foreign policy challenge for Egypt's Islamist administration, which is complicated by the Muslim Brotherhood's close historic ties with Gaza's ruling Hamas movement.

Since the Egyptian revolution, the Brotherhood has been in a political bind over its treaty with Israel, coming under pressure from more radical parties, such as the Salafist al-Nour party and secular leftwing groups to get tougher with Israel.

Explosion, sirens in Tel Aviv after long range rocket 'fired from Gaza'

Residents in Tel Aviv are hearing air raid sirens for a second time in the ongoing crisis after Hamas reportedly fired a long-range rocket at Israel’s second-largest city and capital.

RT,

16 November, 2012

Witnesses said a loud explosion was heard in Tel Aviv after the siren went off.

Israeli police reported that the rocket caused no injuries and most likely fell into the Mediterranean Sea.

Qassam Brigades claimed they used M75 homemade missile to attack Tel Aviv.

All public shelters in Tel Aviv are now being unlocked and made available.

Tel Aviv is targeted by a Hamas attack for a second day in a row, as the conflict escalates. On Thursday evening the air raid alert was sounded and a rocket landed in the sea in front of Jaffa Beach, south of the city.

The alert was the first in Tel Aviv since the 1991 Gulf War. Israel’s second-largest city is located far enough from Gaza not to be targeted by the smaller-range