Qassam hits Negev elementary school before pupils arrive

A harsh Israeli response might be the only thing that can unite the Palestinians, who are on the brink of a civil war.
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Last update - 08:51 13/06/2007
Qassam hits Negev elementary school before pupils arrive
By Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondent
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/870554.html

A Qassam rocket slammed into the yard of an elementary school near Sderot early on Wednesday, causing damage but no injuries.

Authorities said the rocket hit before pupils began arriving at the Sha'ar Hanegev school.

Earlier this week, officials in the Prime Minister's Office said it would take from one to three years to to reinforce all classrooms in Sderot and in the communities around Gaza against Qassam attacks. They said it would be impossible to meet a High Court-ordered deadline specifying that the reinforcement be completed by the opening of the coming school year in September.

According to the present system, students have 15 seconds, from the moment the alarm sounds until the Qassam hits, to reach each school's single protected area. The High Court determined that this was not enough time and that the method does not meet the test of reasonability.

At present, some 340 classrooms are not reinforced - about half of all classrooms in Sderot and the communities around the Gaza Strip.