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I doubt that there has been very much international media coverage of the sudden spate of rocket attacks on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, but it is definitely a worrying trend and one that could yet light the touch paper for another conflict in our region.

There has been significant investment by the Israeli authorities in the Iron Dome missile defence system, but even this is not foolproof. Today's news that a rocket fired from Gaza had hit Ashkelon is a a particularly worrying development.

A group called the Popular Resistance Committee claimed responsibility for the rocket, one of at least 10 to be fired over the border today. It's very convenient for this group to be 'responsible' as it allows Hamas, (who control virtually everything anyone does in Gaza) to claim they had nothing to do with it and therefore escape direct blame.

Anyone with even half a brain knows that the truth of the matter is that this is almost certainly an organization created by the terrorist government in Gaza. It's task is to hoodwink naive journalists, television viewers and those reading their daily papers around the world, into believing that Hamas' hands are 'clean' and that they are powerless to stem the ratcheting up of the pressure in the region.

Accepting that premise would be akin to believing that Hizbollah are in no way connected to Syria or Iran - it just is not believable and should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

Unfortunately, there are many people who will believe whatever is likely to conveniently fit in with their own anti-Israeli sentiments. The real facts don't matter, just look at the Goldstone Report.

Whenever a governing body begins to lose popular support or feel that its grip on power might be slipping, the most successful way to rally people back to the cause is by stoking up nationalistic feelings. Having a war is the ultimate way of playing that game and could well be the reason behind the worrying developments in the south.

This time around I am sure that Israel will not sit back for five years and allow 8000 rockets to hit the country before retaliating.

As a moderate, centre-left thinking person, even I (and many others like me) believe that the Israeli government must act decisively and without hesitation should the trickle of rockets turn into a major barrage.

The world will condemn Israel (it nearly always does), but if there is any justice in the world, the Hamas regime's vile tactics will surely rebound on them in the end.