Israel Responds to Rocket Attacks

Israel has been holding off attacking Hamas terrorists who have continually fired rockets into Israel, even hitting Ashkelon again, but on Tuesday, raided the Gaza Strip and killed 16 of them. A volunteer from Equador on an Israeli kibbutz had been killed by a terrorist sniper.

Amazingly, Fatah's response was to say the raid was a "slap in the face" to Bush's peace efforts! It's as if they can attack Israel but how dare Israel respond. Abbas went on to shock us by saying that "there was a massacre today against our people, and that our people will not remain silent against such crimes".

Israeli President Shimon Peres said that as long as Gaza militants continue to fire rockets into the Jewish state, "we are left without a choice but to answer and stop it."

The Hamas terrorists have refused to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept existing Israeli-Palestinian interim peace deals. Abbas, as shown above, sides with them whenever possible, showing his true colors. Hamas oppose peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Fatah group. Bush predicts a peace treaty will be signed before he leaves office in January 2009, though most people are highly skeptical.

References: Yahoo News: Israeli forces kill 16 Palestinians in Gaza