Senior defense officials to recommend imposing stricter sanctions on Gaza

       At least 10 Qassams launched Tuesday at Israel. One rocket hits apartment building in southern town of Sderot; several people suffer from shock. Earlier, IDF assassinates senior Popular Resistance Committees member. In response to the escalation in Kassam rocket fire against Israel, Defense Minister Ehud Barak plans to approve a list of civilian sanctions against the Gaza Strip in a security assessment he will hold with senior military officials on Thursday. In a meeting with defense officials, Southern Command officers and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Vilna'i, officials said, decided to recommend that Israel begin cutting back the supply of gasoline to Gaza in the coming days. "It's clear that we have to cut off ... the supply of electricity and the supply of fuel," Vilnai told Army Radio Wednesday. "We will dramatically reduce the flow of electricity from Israel over several weeks." Barak will also be presented with a recommendation to shut down one of the five power lines connecting Israel and Gaza for two hours at night. "We need to show the residents of Gaza that life does not carry on freely when Kassam rockets fall in Israel," a senior defense official said. "If rockets are fired, then the Palestinians will pay a price." (15,18)