Gallegly condemns rocket attacks

The House of Representatives recently approved a resolution cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Thousand Oaks) that condemns the rocket attacks on Israel from Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Gallegly, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, recently toured Sderot, Israel, where many of the Gaza rockets are targeted, and met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to discuss IsraeliPalestinian relations and other Middle Eastern issues in February.

"The people of Sderot are under a terrorist siege," Gallegly said. "Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas and other terrorist organizations that wantonly attack its citizens."

Gallegly said that Hamas launches its rockets from schools, hospitals and mosques, using them as shields and making it difficult for Israel to respond without inflicting civilian casualties. In addition, Hamas has received longer range rockets from Iran that it has begun launching deeper into Israel.

According to published reports, Israel suffered more than 240 rocket and mortar attacks in a five-day period in recent weeks.