Steve Israel: “I rise today in great concern over the ongoing Qassam attacks on the southern city of Sderot, Israel. Sderot is a…”

“I rise today in great concern over the ongoing Qassam attacks on the southern city of Sderot, Israel. Sderot is a community that has been plagued with frequent and intense firing on its inhabitants and infrastructure since Hamas's takeover of Gaza. These Palestinian militants are attempting to destroy an entire population and bring everyday life there to a halt. Even today, two Qassam rockets landed in the vicinity of Sderot. One of these rockets was aimed at and landed near a kindergarten, on the first week of the new school year. Imagine the dilemma parents in this region face--they don't know if their children on any given day are safer at school, or at home given the continued rocket firings. These homemade rockets cannot aim solely at military targets because they do not have any degree of precision. They are primitive, short-range, home-made rockets that do not have the technical capability to be guided, and consequently, strike innocent civilians. They have indiscriminately destroyed the economy and physically and psychologically devastated family life. The current situation is unacceptable--the terror organization Hamas is clearly violating Israel's sovereignty and overriding Israel's right over its land and people.”