This is why we call Reuters ‘ Al Reuters ‘

Reuters has published a report which has spread like wild-fire in the Middle East essentially saying Hamas is no longer using warheads on their rockets.  Ha’aretz,  with its less than 6% per cent Israeli readership was one of the first Anglo daily carrying this report and I quote:

Some of the Palestinian rockets fired far into Israel during the Gaza flare-up have lacked powerful warheads because they were stripped down to increase range and spread alarm over a wider population, Israeli security sources said on Sunday. 

"Our assessment is that the prestige of setting off alarms deep in Israel, and being perceived as fighting on, is as important to them now as spilling our blood," said an Israeli official briefed on security cabinet decisions. The official and two other sources who spoke to Reuters on the matter did not specify how many of the almost 900 rockets and mortars fired since fighting erupted on Wednesday had been deliberately sapped.
 
The official said "not a few" of the rockets reaching Tel Aviv and cities closer to Gaza were designed for much shorter ranges, but had been shorn of their weighty warheads so that they flew further. "They're pipes, basically," said the official, who declined to be identified.
 
Hamas, the militant Islamist movement governing Gaza, had no immediate comment. The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), another outgunned Palestinian faction taking part in the five days of clashes, dismissed the Israeli allegations."Israeli leaders are trying to assure their terrified public that those rockets are not dangerous, to minimize their fear. They will never succeed, and time will tell they lied to their people," PRC spokesman Abu Mujahed said. 

An Israeli official briefed on security cabinet decisions could be translated into the falafel guy who delivers the catering to the security cabinet briefings…and the two other sources – might as well be the driver of the Jerusalem Route #1 bus and security guard at the entrance to a local mall.  I find it highly entertaining that ‘Israeli’ security officials will allege Hamas rockets are essentially pipe bombs and won’t go on record with their names.

I have Ten Shekels which says this unnamed piece of wishful thinking will become a prominent talking point for the Palestinian Apologista crowd.

Of course, if the threat from the rockets into Israel is marginal; why is the US government sending a naval ship to aid in the potentialevacuation of US citizens in Israel?

And the damage done to this homes sure doesn't suggest a pipe bomb rocket...