What threat do rocket attacks pose to Israel?
In recent years, the primary method by which terror groups have sought to attack Israeli civilians has been the use of short-range rockets and mortars. Since 2001, terror groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad have fired domestically produced ‘Qassam’ rockets at Israeli communities in and close to the Gaza Strip. The rockets carry up to ten kilos of explosives. Since 2001, thousands of Qassams have been fired at towns and kibbutzim in southern Israel, resulting in 16 deaths between 2004 and June 2008, several of them children, as well as hundreds of injuries. The worst hit has been the small town of Sderot, which has population of 23,000. After Israel withdrew from the whole of the Gaza Strip in 2005, the rate of attacks increased markedly. From January to April 2008, close to 850 rockets were fired; an average of one rocket every three and a half hours. The range of the rockets also increased to include the large coastal city of Ashkelon. In all, Palestinian groups fired 2,300 rocke
In recent years, the primary method by which terrorist groups have sought to attack Israeli civilians has been the use of rockets and mortars. Since 2001, terrorist groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad have fired domestically produced ‘Qassam’ rockets at Israeli communities in and close to the Gaza Strip. Since 2001, thousands of Qassams have been fired at towns and kibbutzim in southern Israel, resulting in 20 deaths between 2004 and 2010, several of them children, as well as hundreds of injuries. The worst hit has been the small town of Sderot, which has a population of 23,000. After Israel withdrew from the whole of the Gaza Strip in 2005, the rate of attacks increased markedly. From January to April 2008, close to 850 rockets were fired; an average of one rocket every three and a half hours. The range of the rockets also increased to include the large coastal city of Ashkelon. In all, Palestinian groups fired 2,300 rockets and mortars at Israel between December 2007 and June 20
