Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with army chiefs in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and was briefed on plans to put a halt to rocket attacks by Palestinians, officials said.
”We must make the strongest possible effort to prevent the firing [of Qassams and mortars] at Israeli communities,” Sharon told troops in Gaza after a meeting with the top military brass, including Minister of Defence Shaul Mofaz and Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon.
At the meeting, Sharon discussed the military efforts being made to stem the increasing flow of Qassam rockets and mortars being fired by militants at Israeli targets both inside and outside of the Gaza Strip, a statement from his office said.
Officials presented Sharon with different ideas for dealing with the problem, after which he talked with some of the soldiers serving in the Gaza division.
”I know that a huge effort is being made here. It is a dangerous area with great friction. We recognise your excellent work and I want to thank you for it,” Sharon told the troops.
Scores of mortar shells and Qassam rockets, built by the radical Hamas movement, have been fired at Israeli targets in the past few months, causing the death of four people in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, which lies close to the Gaza border.
Despite several extensive Israeli raids to stop the militant cells responsible for launching the rockets, the firing has continued unabated, with several missiles hitting Israeli territory on Tuesday. — Sapa-AFP