An Israeli woman and her children stay in a large concrete pipe used as a bomb shelter after a rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip on November 12, 2012 in Netivot, Israel. Missile fire from Gaza has hit Israel for the fourth straight day. (Getty Images)

Psalm 83:1-18 ESV / 56 helpful votes

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads. They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones. They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!” For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant—

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers were holding an emergency cabinet meeting early Thursday afternoon at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv to discuss the situation in the south, after terrorists hit Israel a day earlier with the largest barrage of rockets since 2012.

Early Thursday morning, the IDF reported that two additional rockets were fired from Gaza but landed in open areas within the strip. Later in the morning, alert sirens sounded in coastal cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon as rockets were fired from the Strip. The Iron Dome system downed one of the rockets over Ashkelon, while two others fell in underpopulated areas.

Netanyahu vowed to respond forcefully to further strikes. “There are no free shots, and terrorist elements in the Gaza Strip should start internalizing the fact that they are dealing with a very determined government and a very strong army,” Netanyahu said Thursday morning.

He also noted that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas did not condemn the rocket fire from Gaza but rather only the Israeli response. Netanyahu added that in order to move toward peace, the PA must be unequivocal in condemning terror.

“Our policy in the south is clear, he said. “We will strike at anyone who tries to attack us and will respond very forcefully to any attack. I would like to make it clear that whoever tries to attack our Purim celebrations we will hit them strongly. We did not achieve the greatest quiet in the south in recent years for nothing; this is our policy.”   More>

From B Harmon Contributor:  

A trail of smoke from rockets fried from the Gaza Strip have fired 60 rockets on Southern Israel hitting several Jewish communities. Another Gaza militant group, the Popular Resistance Committees also admitted to firing several rockets.

Even though Hamas denies being a part of this recent attack, he is responsible for most of the rocket fire on Israel. It was only last year, November 14-21 that Palestinian terrorist groups fired more than 1,506 rockets at Israel. The majority of those rockets struck Israel damaging homes, schools and other civilian areas.

Each time there are a barrage of rockets fired at Israel, Hamas gets busy rearming his military’s capabilities. Radical fundamentalists continue to assault Israel in terrorist fashion which disproves allegations from the Palestinians that they have experienced unfair treatment by the Israeli’s. Most, not all, Palestinians want Israel destroyed and do not even recognize Israel as a Jewish State.

We should pray without ceasing for the people of Israel for all they go through every day. They are a passionate and brave people fighting for a land that belongs to them.   G-d Bless Israel!

Read more: Ministers hold emergency meeting to address rocket fire | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/cabinet-to-convene-for-emergency-meeting-on-gaza/#ixzz2vuCWpg43