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A bomb detonated in Jerusalem earlier this week killing a British national, and injuring more than 30 others. The bomb was in a bag left at a bus station on a major street and is believed to have been planted by Palestinian militants. It was followed by attacks from two rockets and several mortars on Southern Israel that apparently came from Gaza. The bombing and rocket fire broke several years of relative calm. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a “tough reaction” and “great force” to the incidents but also said that Israel would act “responsibly and wisely.” Israel responded by striking the Gaza strip yesterday. It is being reported that an arms depot operated by Hamas was hit; there have been no media reports of casualties. The exchange of fire comes at the same time as a visit to Israel by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. At a joint press conference with his counterpart, Ehud Barak, Gates asserted Israel’s right to respond. This morning, Secretary Gates visited the West Bank city of Ramallah, the first time someone in his position has ever done so.

GUEST: Khalila Sabra, on the Steering Committee of the U.S. Committee to end the Israeli Occupation, Director of Mass Immigrant Justice Center

Find out more at www.endtheoccupation.org