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B’nai B’rith International decries the barrage of rocket fire from terrorists in Gaza against major population centers in southern Israel over the weekend and supports Israel’s right to defend itself against these indiscriminate attacks.

B’nai B’rith stands in solidarity with not only Israelis in southern Israel, but all Israeli citizens during this time of attacks on the Jewish state.

Though the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committee has claimed credit for the more than 200 rockets that have been fired into Israel, it is Hamas—which controls Gaza—that should also bear responsibility since the attacks originated from areas that it claims to govern.

“Not only does Hamas continually refuse to renounce violence against Israel, this time it has allowed violence to originate from Gaza,” said B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs. “Israel must do what is the basic obligation of every nation: protect its citizens.”

The attacks have forced 1.5 million citizens in southern Israel to take shelter. Though Israel employed its newly released Iron Dome missile system to deter most of the rocket attacks, eight Israelis have been seriously injured and nearly 250,000 children were affected by school closures after one rocket damaged a Beersheba school and another landed in a nearby neighborhood, damaging 15 homes.

“This dangerous escalation of violence and terror against innocent civilians is only the most recent example of the commitment by Hamas and that of its rejectionist allies to seek the elimination of the Jewish state and to foment instability in the region,” said B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin.