Palestinian militants fire rocket at Jerusalem for first time
JERUSALEM (AP) - Palestinian militants fired a rocket aimed at Jerusalem on Friday, setting off air raid sirens throughout the city and opening a new front in three days of fierce fighting between Israel and armed groups in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli campaign has been limited to airstrikes so far. But military officials say they are considering expanding it to a ground campaign.
Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich, a military spokeswoman, said the military had called 16,000 reservists to duty on Friday as it geared up for a possible ground offensive.
She said the army had authority to draft an additional 14,000 soldiers. She would not say where the troops were deployed.
As air-raid sirens went off in Jerusalem, witnesses said they saw a stream of smoke in Mevasseret Zion, a Jerusalem suburb.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the rocket landed in an open area near Gush Ezion, a collection of Jewish settlements in the West Bank southeast of the city.
An attack on Israel's self-declared capital marks a major escalation by Gaza militants, both for its symbolism and its distance from the Palestinian territory. Located roughly 75 kilometers (50 miles) away from the Gaza border, Jerusalem had been thought to be beyond the range of Gaza rocket squads.
Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Hamas militant wing, said the group had fired a long-range rocket at Jerusalem.
"We are sending a short and simple message: There is no security for any Zionist on any single inch of Palestine and we plan more surprises," he said. Hamas officials said the rocket was a homemade "M-75" rocket, a weapon that has never been fired before.
It also marks a bit of a gamble for the militants. Gush Ezion is close to the Palestinian city of Bethlehem and just a few kilometers (miles) from the revered Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City, one of Islam's holiest sites. Jews call the compound the Temple Mount because of the biblical Jewish temples that once stood there.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians live in Jerusalem and nearby areas of the West Bank.
Militants already have fired rockets into the southern outskirts of Tel Aviv, another unprecedented achievement, on Thursday. The rocket attacks have not hurt anyone in the bustling metropolis, but have caused panic and jitters.
Just a few years ago, Palestinian rockets were limited to crude, homemade devices manufactured in Gaza. But in recent years, Hamas and other armed groups have smuggled in sophisticated, longer-range rockets from Iran and Libya, which has been flush with weapons since Moammar Gadhafi was ousted last year. Most of the rockets do not have guided systems, limiting their accuracy, though Israeli officials believe the militants may have a small number of guided missiles that have not yet been deployed.
The strike occurred on the third day of an Israeli offensive in Gaza meant to halt rocket fire from the crowded seaside strip. Israel began the offensive Wednesday by assassinating Hamas' military chief and striking dozens of rocket launchers. But militants have continued to rain rockets across Israel.
The military spokeswoman said no decision has been made on whether to send ground troops or how long the Israeli offensive will last. Leibovich said all options are open, "including a ground operation."
Along the border Friday, tanks, armored vehicles and military bulldozers were parked in neat rows. Soldiers milled about, while buses filled with soldiers moved in the area.
Hamas militants have vowed to resist the Israeli offensive. They received a boost of solidarity on Friday with a visit by Egypt's prime minister, Hesham Kandil, who called on Israel to end its operation.
In all, 23 Palestinians have been killed, including 11 civilians, according to Gaza health officials, and 250 people wounded. Three Israelis were killed when a rocket hit an apartment building in southern Israel.
The Israeli campaign has been limited to airstrikes so far. But military officials say they are considering expanding it to a ground campaign.
Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich, a military spokeswoman, said the military had called 16,000 reservists to duty on Friday as it geared up for a possible ground offensive.
She said the army had authority to draft an additional 14,000 soldiers. She would not say where the troops were deployed.
As air-raid sirens went off in Jerusalem, witnesses said they saw a stream of smoke in Mevasseret Zion, a Jerusalem suburb.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the rocket landed in an open area near Gush Ezion, a collection of Jewish settlements in the West Bank southeast of the city.
An attack on Israel's self-declared capital marks a major escalation by Gaza militants, both for its symbolism and its distance from the Palestinian territory. Located roughly 75 kilometers (50 miles) away from the Gaza border, Jerusalem had been thought to be beyond the range of Gaza rocket squads.
Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Hamas militant wing, said the group had fired a long-range rocket at Jerusalem.
"We are sending a short and simple message: There is no security for any Zionist on any single inch of Palestine and we plan more surprises," he said. Hamas officials said the rocket was a homemade "M-75" rocket, a weapon that has never been fired before.
It also marks a bit of a gamble for the militants. Gush Ezion is close to the Palestinian city of Bethlehem and just a few kilometers (miles) from the revered Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City, one of Islam's holiest sites. Jews call the compound the Temple Mount because of the biblical Jewish temples that once stood there.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians live in Jerusalem and nearby areas of the West Bank.
Militants already have fired rockets into the southern outskirts of Tel Aviv, another unprecedented achievement, on Thursday. The rocket attacks have not hurt anyone in the bustling metropolis, but have caused panic and jitters.
Just a few years ago, Palestinian rockets were limited to crude, homemade devices manufactured in Gaza. But in recent years, Hamas and other armed groups have smuggled in sophisticated, longer-range rockets from Iran and Libya, which has been flush with weapons since Moammar Gadhafi was ousted last year. Most of the rockets do not have guided systems, limiting their accuracy, though Israeli officials believe the militants may have a small number of guided missiles that have not yet been deployed.
The strike occurred on the third day of an Israeli offensive in Gaza meant to halt rocket fire from the crowded seaside strip. Israel began the offensive Wednesday by assassinating Hamas' military chief and striking dozens of rocket launchers. But militants have continued to rain rockets across Israel.
The military spokeswoman said no decision has been made on whether to send ground troops or how long the Israeli offensive will last. Leibovich said all options are open, "including a ground operation."
Along the border Friday, tanks, armored vehicles and military bulldozers were parked in neat rows. Soldiers milled about, while buses filled with soldiers moved in the area.
Hamas militants have vowed to resist the Israeli offensive. They received a boost of solidarity on Friday with a visit by Egypt's prime minister, Hesham Kandil, who called on Israel to end its operation.
In all, 23 Palestinians have been killed, including 11 civilians, according to Gaza health officials, and 250 people wounded. Three Israelis were killed when a rocket hit an apartment building in southern Israel.
Why is this called an Israeli "offensive"????? These strikes are retaliatory and are intended to prevent the Gaza Hamas from continuing to offensively strike Israel. I always thought that strikes in retaliation are considered "defensive," especially if the goal is to diminish the enemy's capacity to inflict harm...
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OUR LIBERAL  Obama press said today "why is Israel taking so drastic measures" I wonder if these Morons ever went to college to to see Israel is surrounded by fanatics that want to see them wiped off the face of the earth, and the biggest one, Iraq is pulling the strings to all the other puppets, just so they can make Israel look like a big bully, May I ask the liberal news a question. what if Canada were sending the same kind of rockets on top of Washington DC, AND YOU SON OR DAUGHTER LOST A ARM. EYSIGHT OR LIFE, WOULD YOU BE TAKING DIRASTIC MEASURES to have your government do something.......how about drastic!
This will not end well. The M-75 rocket might be "homemade" but the ingredients and recipe most likely came from Iran. Israel, Iran, and the Palestinians have been been prepping for a bombing raid on Iran for years now. Hezbollah will jump in next.
Go ahead a really PO Israel, those guys and gals over there do not mess around. Israel will show you another meaning to Rock and Roll. A little hint, it does not involve guitars and drums.
Wouldn't be ironic if Hamas, in attempting to destroy Israel, ended up destroying to Dome of the Rock?
And now, the Palestinians will find out why it's never a good idea to pick fights with your neighbor. Especially when that neighbor has exponentially superior firepower. And, the next violent, bloody chapter of the middle east will be written. Â
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The fog of war can cover up a LOT of infractions. Once the media becomes obsessed with covering the fighting in this arena, Assad can unleash his forces on the insurgents in Syria and claim it was the 'heathen zionists'. End result, he stays in power after getting backing from China and Russia, because 'the west' (read:US) will back Israel.
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Assad may be a maniac, but he's a pretty smart maniac. Â
I think it is time for me to postpone my planned tour of Jordan and Israel this spring. Too bad there are so many lovely places to see in the world that are too dangerous to visit anymore.Â
 @peckishpeteÂ
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Before Lebanon was involved with Syria and the 1967 war, it was one of the top trouist destinations of the world.
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Europeans, white, Christian Europeans, used to "holiday" there all the time.
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And after they rebuilt the country following the civil war, it became a destination again.
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Then of course you have all of the holy places. I am not religious but so many places of such huge importance located so close together, it is a historian's dream.
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But all that history has baggage and that baggage is hate. Too much hate for it to be the beautiful place in the world it could become.
Israel is really too kind, I would have started carpet bombing after only one or two rockets.
 @JTesla Their restraint has been remarkable but some people will blame Israel no matter what it does.
OK and now begins the first part to WWIII I for see much destabilization occurring and we better get the hell out of there NOW! or We had better Back up Israel.
@lee986321 Just a few more months left before the year ends...anything is possible.
@portlandborn83 Yes, anything is possible, we might actually start a whole new year.
After further reading, if any holy site is disturbed or destroyed, there will be a war unleashed like you have never seen before. You Guys had better wake up..I am not Joking when I am saying this will be a war of "Biblical" proportions
@lee986321 Lee, the End Time prophecies have fascinated me since I was a child. Let's say the Dome of the Rock is destroyed. That could leave the way clear for the building of a new Jewish temple. New Jewish temple would probably mean the re-establishment of the animal sacrifices Judaism requires. Since prophecy states the Beast (aka the Anti-Christ) will take away the sacrifice . . .
Well, they better hurry! 21DEC2012 is just a month and five days away. The Mayans, Incas or some damn group of violent child sacraficing freaks said that is the end of the world. Or so the media said for a couple years now.
@lee986321 You really don't know anything about history.