Hamas Launches Rockets And Mortars Into Israel, Three Israelis Injured

Apparently, Hamas wants round two of their ass beating to begin as they fired a barrage of rockets and mortars into southern Israel today wounding one civilian and two soldiers. Here's what Israel's leadership said as a response according to the article here at Breitbart:

Speaking to his Cabinet on Sunday, Israel's outgoing prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said Israel would respond "when and where we choose."

The government's position, Olmert said, is that "if there is shooting at residents of the south there will be an Israeli response that will be harsh and disproportionate by its nature to the shooting at residents of Israel and at our forces."
Israeli defense officials said they had not yet formulated a response, but said a return to the offensive—in which Israeli tanks and infantry units penetrated deep into Gaza—was unlikely. Instead, they said Israel would consider airstrikes, including possible attempts to kill Hamas leaders. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing classified security matters.

I think what we will more than likely see is an air attack by Israel later tonight that will target one or two Hamas mid level commanders - this is going to be one of those nasty JDAM's that takes out half a city block and will send a helluva signal to Hamas leadership. A more disproportionate response would be to hit at Hamas leaders in several cities all at once.

But hopefully it will be just that ...disproportionate and lethal. The Hamas plan has always been to continue the rockets, to continue the mortars so that Israel will not respond to say a day or two's worth of these attacks....this has been successful in the past in shaping world opinion that the Hamas rocket attacks are not particularly harmful. Israel, after this big operation of Cast Lead, needs to nip this in the bud immediately - with reprisal strikes that will shock the shit out of Hamas command.

Israel threatens response to new militant rockets

JERUSALEM (AP) - Gaza militants launched rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel on Sunday, wounding three Israelis, drawing a threat of "disproportionate" retaliation from the prime minister and further straining a cease-fire that ended Israel's Gaza offensive.
The flare-up in violence came just over a week before Israel's parliamentary vote, pitting Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni—one of the architects of the offensive—against the more hawkish Benjamin Netanyahu. Continued fighting could influence the outcome by raising questions about the effectiveness of Israel's actions in Gaza.
Three people—two soldiers and a civilian—were wounded in a late afternoon mortar barrage on an Israeli village next to Gaza, police and the military said. Earlier, a rocket landed near a kindergarten in a community near Gaza, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Warning sirens sent residents scrambling for shelter.
Speaking to his Cabinet on Sunday, Israel's outgoing prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said Israel would respond "when and where we choose."
The Israeli offensive was aimed at halting years of rocket attacks, and the military declared a cease-fire on Jan. 18 after declaring its goals had been achieved.
But Sunday's salvos, which followed sporadic rocket fire and the killing of an Israeli soldier in a border bombing attack last week, illustrated the difficulties of achieving a complete end to the attacks. Despite years of efforts, Israel's high-tech military has failed to stop the projectiles.
The government's position, Olmert said, is that "if there is shooting at residents of the south there will be an Israeli response that will be harsh and disproportionate by its nature to the shooting at residents of Israel and at our forces."
Israeli defense officials said they had not yet formulated a response, but said a return to the offensive—in which Israeli tanks and infantry units penetrated deep into Gaza—was unlikely. Instead, they said Israel would consider airstrikes, including possible attempts to kill Hamas leaders. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing classified security matters.
Both Israel and Hamas have been talking to Egyptian mediators about a long-term truce. Israel wants an end to arms smuggling into Gaza from Egypt. Hamas wants Israel and Egypt to reopen Gaza's borders, which have been virtually sealed since Hamas violently seized power in June 2007.