Hamas Replaces Rocks With Rockets

During the 2006 war, Hezbollah fired long-range rockets from Lebanon into towns in northern Israel. And Israeli military officials warned that it might just be the start of the bombardment. Instead of throwing rocks -- or setting off suicide bombs -- "the next Palestinian uprising could be 'a ballistic intifada,'" those officials told The Washington Post.

Unfortunately, it looks like they were right. Israeli forces just ended a raid into the Gaza Strip, after months of longer-range Hamas rocket strikes -- including ones on the northern edges of the city of Ashkhelon, which has escaped such attacks in the past.

*The *New York Times reports that "Hamas leaders seemed to be following the playbook of their Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, in its 2006 war with Israel."

Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas in Gaza, said that like Hezbollah, Hamas had “gone from the stone to the rocket.”

“What we learned from Hezbollah,” he said, “is that resistance is a choice that can work.”

Shorter-range rocket attacks have been a hallmark of Palestinian militants for years. But these Grad rockets -- possibly Iranian imports-- can fly much further, up to 14 miles.

Ha'Aretz reviews nine options for what Israel can do next -- ranging from bad to awful. Meanwhile, Israel has just finished building 1700 shelters, to protect against bomb and rocket attacks.

(Big ups: Umansky)