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Israel Responds to Gaza Rocket Fire
(Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Over one million Israeli civilians have been under sustained attack from Gaza since Nov. 10. Daily life in southern Israel has been totally disrupted. Israel has demonstrated great restraint, both in the current crisis and in the two previous sustained barrages of the past month. However, the escalation of events over the past few days forced Israel to react to the Hamas attacks. All of Israel's actions have been taken in self-defense. It is the duty and right of every state to protect its civilian population from attack. No other state would allow a million citizens to be targeted by terrorist organizations without responding. The targets of Israeli operations are all military. Israeli strikes are conducted in a precise surgical manner in order to reduce to a minimum any effect on the civilian population of Gaza. Israel regrets any injury that may nevertheless be caused to civilians in Gaza. In sharp contrast, Hamas and the other terrorist organizations hide among the civilian population of Gaza. They also direct their fire at the civilian population of Israel. These actions constitute a double war crime. Despite Israel's total disengagement from Gaza in 2005, Hamas continues to attack Israel, proof that they are not fighting against Israel's (non-existent) presence in Gaza but against Israel's very existence.