Two wounded in rocket attacks   Two people were wounded by shrapnel and nine others were sent into shock after Palestinian terrorists fired a volley of Kassam rockets at Sderot Wednesday night (26th).  Six rockets landed inside the western Negev town.   Earlier Wednesday (26th), a rocket landed in the backyard of a home in a western Negev kibbutz, causing damage to buildings.   In total, some 20 rockets and mortar shells were fired at southern Israel on Wednesday (26th).   The Islamic Jihad and the NRC claimed responsibility for the attacks.   (JP, 3/27)     IDF: Hamas responsible for new surge in attacks   The IDF said on Thursday (27th) that Hamas must be viewed as responsible for the new surge of rocket attacks from Gaza, Army Radio reported.  The army said that while Islamic Jihad was behind Wednesday’s attacks, Hamas was accountable as it has proven its ability to stop rocket attacks completely, and has not done so.   (JP, 3/27)     Islamic Jihad producing longer-range rockets   The Islamic Jihad terror group has recently begun manufacturing rockets with a 12.5-mile range, similar to the Grad (Katyusha) rockets in recent months, according to Army Radio.   (Army Radio, 3/27)     Defense officials: Hizbullah can now reach Dimona   Senior Israeli defense officials say Hizbullah has dramatically increased its rocket range, and now threatens most of Israel.  They said the Lebanese terror group has acquired new Iranian rockets with a range of around 187 miles.  That means they can hit anywhere in Israel’s heavily populated centers and reach as far as Dimona, where Israel’s nuclear reactor is located.  Hizbullah fired nearly 4,000 rockets into Israel during the Second Lebanon War which had a maximum range of just over 43 miles.  The UN peacekeeping force dispatched to Lebanon after that war was meant to prevent Hizbullah from rearming but the officials say Hizbullah now has many more rockets in its arsenal than the 14,000 it had before the conflict.   In early March, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reported Israeli claims that Hizbullah’s arsenal includes 10,000 long-range rockets and 20,000 short-range rockets in southern Lebanon.   (AP, JP, 3/27)     IDF razes structures used for hiding Gaza snipers   IDF forces operating near the security fence, separating Israel from Gaza, razed deserted structures and destroyed thick vegetation used to hide Palestinian snipers, Wednesday (26th).  Earlier Wednesday (26th), Palestinian snipers fired toward Israeli farmers working in the fields of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, wounding one.  Several months ago another field worker was shot and killed there.   (Ynet, 3/27)     Palestinian terrorist leader admits Israeli security fence blocks attacks   Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Abdallah Shalah told the Qatari newspaper Al-Sharq on March 23 that rocket fire had replaced suicide bombing attacks because Israel had found ways to protect itself from such attacks.   “For example, they built a separation fence in the West bank.  We do not deny that it limits the ability of the resistance to arrive deep within Israeli territory to carry out suicide bombing attacks.”   (Al-Sharq – Qatar, 3/27)

IDF nabs 2002 Passover bombing mastermind   The IDF on Tuesday (25th) arrested Hamas’ top commander in Tulkarm, Omar Jaber, 54, who dispatched the suicide bomber that attacked a Passover Seder at the Park Hotel in Netanya in 2002, killing 30 Israelis and wounding over 140.  Jaber has been actively working to set up a Hamas military force in Tulkarm.   (JP, 3/27)     PA to probe ex-Arafat aide’s project   A former advisor to Yasser Arafat, identified as Muhammad Rashid, is planning to invest some $600 million in a tourist project in Jordan, prompting the Palestinian Authority leadership in Ramallah to launch an investigation into the source of the money.   “We are considering legal measures to determine whether the money for the project came from the Palestinian Authority budget,” said PA-Prosecutor General Ahmed al-Mughni, Wednesday (26th).   The decision to launch an investigation against Rashid is the latest in a string of financial scandals that have hit the PA leadership in the past few days.   Rouhi Fattouh, one of Abbas’ top aides, was caught earlier this week as he tried to smuggle 3,000 cellular phones through the Allenby Bridge, using his Israeli-issued VIP pass.   (JP, 3/27)     Netanyahu slams plan to transfer arms to PA as ‘dumb’   Israeli Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday (26th) that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is incapable of providing solutions to Israel’s security concerns.   “The idea to trust our safety to the Palestinian Authority has failed in the past in Gaza and it will fail in Judea and Samaria as well,” said Netanyahu at a conference organized by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.  Netanyahu slammed the initiative to transfer armored cars and guns to the PA in its current status, calling the plan ‘a dumb idea.’   Netanyahu said the vehicles and weapons will fall into the hands of Hamas and others and they will use them against the Jewish state.  He said that the thought that these weapons will protect Israel is wrong, and is a stupid idea.   (Ynet, Arutz-7, 3/27)     Israel changes clocks: Spring forward Friday morning   Clocks in Israel will move forward by one hour at 2 a.m. Friday morning (28th), bringing the time difference between Israel and the East Coast of the United States back to 7 hours..  The United States moved its clock forward earlier this month.  There will be a two-day change in the time differences between Israel and European countries, which moves their clocks forward this Sunday morning (30th).   The time change in Israel will remain in effect until early Sunday morning, October 5, before the Yom Kippur holiday.   (Arutz-7, 3/27)