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[Jandar]

Rockets hit Israel from Lebanon

BBC 11:58 GMT, Thursday, 8 January 2009

At least three rockets have been fired into northern Israel from Lebanon, raising fears the Israeli offensive against militants in Gaza may spread.

Israel replied with artillery, but called the attack an "isolated event".

The incident followed Israel's heaviest bombardment so far on Gaza, with 60 air strikes targeting Hamas facilities.

Efforts have continued to broker a ceasefire, as a senior Israeli official travelled to Cairo to hear details of a plan put forward by Egypt and France.

A Hamas delegation is expected in the Egyptian capital at some stage for parallel "technical" talks, Egyptian diplomats said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7817135.stm

[Jandar]

Lebanese militants fire rockets at Israel
Israel potentially faces second front as Gaza offensive presses forward

AP updated 4:34 a.m. ET Jan. 8, 2009

JERUSALEM - Lebanese militants fired at least three rockets into northern Israel early Thursday, threatening to open a second front for the Jewish state as it pushed forward with its offensive in the Gaza Strip. Gaza militants fired a rocket barrage into southern Israel almost simultaneously.

There were no serious injuries in either attack. But the rockets on Israel's north raised the specter of renewed hostilities with Hezbollah, just 2 1/2 years after Israel battled the guerrilla group to a 34-day stalemate. Hezbollah started the 2006 war as Israel was battling Palestinian militants in Gaza.

Israel has repeatedly said it was prepared for a possible attack on the north since it launched its bruising campaign against Hamas militants in Gaza on Dec. 27. Israel has mobilized thousands of reserve troops for such a scenario, and leaders have warned Hezbollah of dire consequences if it enters the fighting.
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Shortly after the rockets fell around the town of Nahariya, five miles south of the Lebanese border, Lebanese TV stations reported Israeli mortar fire on open areas in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military confirmed it carried out "pinpoint fire" in response without elaborating.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28404637

[ManintheMiddle]

It is precisely this sort of "incident" that keeps many Israelis, especially those who live along the borders, on edge.

Not only are these attacks potentially deadly but they are aimed at civilians rather than military targets. Many IDF installations are completely separate from the civilian population unlike with Hamas and Hizbollah. And yet civilians are still targeted.

The fear is compounded by not knowing when one might occur. There is no military buildup, no call in the media expressing dissatisfaction and threatening to unleash these missiles and mortars, again, unlike with the IDF, and no immediate provocation is deemed necessary.

This is what the namby-pamby EU and the Arab apologists on this board fail to grasp. I've been to Israeli border towns and it's a sense of siege but unlike the Gazans, they don't even get a warning shot.