Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl and Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb said: “Israel – as every other sovereign nation state – has the right to defend and protect her citizens and its borders. We strongly deplore the ongoing rocket attacks from Gaza on Southern Israeli communities, which make the lives of so many the lives of so many Israelis unbearable, including mothers, fathers, and children. We call on Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the United Kingdom and the United States, to de-escalate the situation and refrain from further violence.”