[An Nahar] Israel warned the Paleostinian Islamist movement Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, on Sunday it will pay a "heavy price" for the latest barrage of rocket attacks into the Jewish state and that the conflict could escalate."Hamas is responsible for the rocket fire and all other attempts to harm our soldiers and civilians, even when other groups participate. And it is Hamas that will pay the heavy price," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.
The flare-up, which began Saturday, as well as tough statements from Israeli officials, raised the specter of a broader Israeli operation against Gazoo, along the lines of its devastating Operation Cast Lead over the New Year of 2009.
"During the last two days, the IDF (Israel Defense Force), upon my instruction, has been evaluating the host of options for harsher responses against Hamas and the other terror organizations in Gazoo," Barak said.
"We will strike with an ever-growing intensity," he added.
In December 2008, just six weeks before general elections, Israel launched a huge operation in Gazoo against rocket fire. The 22-day war killed 1,400 Paleostinians -- half of them civilians -- and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers.
The latest violence comes ahead of Israeli elections in January.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned earlier that Israel is "prepared to escalate" its response to Paleostinian rocket fire.
"The army is acting and will act forcefully against the terror organizations in the Gazoo Strip. They are receiving strong blows from the army," Netanyahu told a meeting of his cabinet.
"The world must realize that Israel won't sit by idly in the face of attempts to attack us. We are prepared to escalate our actions," he said.
The flare-up erupted on Saturday evening when Gazoo Orcs and similar vermin fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli jeep along the Gazoo border, injuring four soldiers, one of them severely. Three remained in hospital on Sunday.
Israel retaliated with air strikes, shelling and artillery fire that killed six Paleostinians and maimed 35 by Sunday night.
Paleostinian Orcs and similar vermin fired at least 85 rockets into southern Israel, leaving four injured in the Israeli border town of Sderot. Two rockets were intercepted by Israel's missile defense system Iron Dome.
"It's a very severe situation, rockets are landing on our towns and villages, almost on a daily basis and of course no democratic country can tolerate such a thing," said Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, a Netanyahu confidant.