Israel declares "special Home Front situation" in the south

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz declared on Sunday a "special Home Front situation" as Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip continued to fire Qassam rockets to southern Israel, local popular Yedioth Ahronoth said.

At least 125 Qassam rockets have landed in western Negev in the past five days, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported. It was estimated that the situation would continue for many days.

Peretz's decision was coordinated with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and was made following a series of consultations and evaluations of the situation.

In light of the special status, the Home Front Command is provided with different authorities in the rocket-stricken communities, including opening and closing education institutions and calling in workers employed in companies considered vital. The "special situation" includes the communities of Sderot, Ohad, Tzohar, Sdeh Nitzan, Talmei Eliyahu and other communities in the Gaza vicinity area.

The instruction has already come into force and will last 48 hours, but Peretz is expected to ask the government to extend it.

A similar situation was declared in the north during the Second Lebanon War, while the government refrained from declaring the situation a "war."

Meanwhile, in an effort to prevent Hamas militants from firing Qassam rockets into the Sderot area, which is adjacent to Gaza, Israel killed at least three suspected Hamas militants in a predawn air strike in Gaza on Sunday.

As more than 40 Palestinian rockets hit Sderot over the weekend, IDF is building up its pressure on Hamas to stop its frequent firing. At least 10 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in IAF strikes since Friday.

Israeli security cabinet will meet on Sunday to discuss military options to safeguard Sderot.

Israel began the wave of air strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza on Wednesday and senior Israeli officials said they were considering taking tougher measures.

Source: Xinhua