Israel Views Katyusha Rocket Firing As 'Ominous Sign'

Got to love the way the pali terrorist live up their agreements of "peace". Once a pali terrorist, always a pali terrorist.

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - While all eyes were focused on the Israeli elections, the terror group Islamic Jihad launched into Israel a rocket with twice the range of those its usually fires.
Southern Israel has been hit by hundreds of homemade, short-range, and imprecise Kassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip over the last few years. Tuesday marked the first time that a Katyusha was launched from Gaza. No injuries or damage were reported.
The Katyusha has twice the range of a Kassam -- about 20 to 30 kilometers (12-18 miles) instead of 11 kilometers (6.6 miles). The longer range rocket puts much more of southern Israel in the danger zone. Both the large coastal city of Ashkelon and the port city of Ashdod are now within range.
Although the Kassams are crude, inaccurate weapons, they have killed a number of Israelis and caused considerable damage to Israeli homes and property. The Katyusha is more powerful.
It is an "ominous sign" from the new Hamas government that there will be no let-up in terrorism, said prime ministerial spokesman Dr. Ra'anan Gissin.
"[The terror groups] are continuing to try to acquire the capability to disrupt the strategic balance there," said Gissin.
Hamas may not engage in terrorism directly but they are going to give a free hand to other groups that want to carry out attacks, he said. "They will try to sweet-talk the West, but in practice they will not do anything to stop [the terrorism]."
Islamic Jihad, which is ideologically aligned with and backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for firing the Katyusha rocket. The group has launched more than 450 rockets and mortars at Israeli targets since the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip last September.
According to the military sources, the rocket probably was smuggled into Gaza across the Egyptian border. Sources said Islamic Jihad probably doesn't have many of the longer-range rockets -- yet.
Five of the cruder Kassams were launched from Gaza toward Israel on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, two Bedouin shepherds, a father and son, were killed when they handled a Kassam rocket that had been launched into Israel earlier.
Residents of northern Israel have suffered for years from Katyusha rocket attacks on Israeli border towns launched by the Iranian-backed Hizballah.