President Shimon Peres said Monday that he could not understand the stupidity of the ongoing rocket campaign being waged by Palestinian terrorists, which has escalated in the lead in to Israel's 2012-2013 school year.
"If they fire, we will fire," Peres said at the opening of the Sha'ar Hanegev Technological High School. "Hamas and all terrorist organizations affiliated with Hamas in Gaza will pay the price for trying to harm innocent people and disrupt the opening of the school year in communities surrounding the Gaza Strip.
Seven rockets have been fired into southern in recent days, including three on Monday. No civilians were injured in the attack, but two rockets fell quite close to the rocket-protected educational facility Peres was visiting.
"Hamas needs to know that there will be strong repercussions from Israel if it persists in firing rockets at Israeli children," said the president.
Peres praised the students, and residents of the South in general, for their stoicism in the face of the onslaught of rockets from Gaza. "The State of Israel is proud of you," he said.
Peres, who loves to be in the midst of young people, sat down at a desk in a grade nine classroom and happily joined in the student activities, even to the extent of raising his hand when seeking permission to say something.
Alon Shuster, head of the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, commended Peres for visiting the embattled area instead of a school much closer to home in the Jerusalem area.