#1 PM Olmert Visits Ashkelon
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today (Tuesday), 11.3.08, made a working visit to
Ashkelon ( http://tinyurl.com/kermm ) in order to inspect the city's
emergency preparations regarding health, education, municipal administration
and the various rescue services. He visited eight-year-old Yossi Heimov,
who was severely wounded in the shoulder by a Kassam rocket approximately
two weeks ago and is hospitalized at Barzilai Medical Center
( www.barzilaimc.org.il/ ) in Ashkelon. Prime Minister Olmert then
spoke with the hospital management, members of the Ashkelon City Council and
the bodies responsible for providing emergency services in the city. They
briefed the Prime Minister on their preparations for emergencies and on the
difficulties and problems they have faced since Ashkelon has been under the
threat of rocket attack.

Prime Minister Olmert paid a condolence visit to Gila and Guy Banai, the
deaf parents of St.-Sgt. Liran Banai ( http://tinyurl.com/2he3e5 ), who was
killed last week when his jeep drove over a mine close to the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Olmert visited the Harel School, where he met with teachers
and administrators and spoke with students. He observed a drill in which
students prepared for a rocket attack.

At the end of his visit to Ashkelon, Prime Minister Olmert said that he was
impressed with the preparations of the residents, the municipality and the
various emergency services. Regarding the relative calm in recent days, he
said that he regretted that we must be prepared for a situation in which
missile fire is resumed. "Hamas suffered a harsh blow during the IDF's
recent action in the northern Gaza Strip and the fact that it is not firing
now is in wake of the blow that it suffered and not because its members have
become lovers of Israel. The Government will continue in its struggle
against Hamas, in accordance with the Cabinet decisions
( http://tinyurl.com/yo2mkz ) until there is a stop to the terrorism and
violence in the Gaza Strip, the missile fire and the strengthening of
Hamas," the Prime Minister said.

=====

#2 PFLP claims rocket fire on Ashkelon
Ali Waked YNET Published: 03.11.08, 20:55 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3517963,00.html

The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine's military wing, have claimed responsibility fot firing the rocket
at Ashkelon, earlier Tuesday.

The group's statement said the fire came as "the Palestinians' natural
response to the occupation's crimes." Sources in the Gaza Strip said the
fire is unlikely to hinder efforts to keep the calm achieved between Israel
and the Palestinians.