Talk of a long-term ceasefire in he Gaza Strip seems to be forgotten today, as Israel and Hamas continued tit-for-tat escalations throughout the day, with 150 rockets fired at southern Israel, and Israeli warplanes striking over 100 targets inside Gaza.
Exactly what happened isn’t entirely clear. Six Israelis were reported injured by rockets over the course of the day, with 25 rockets intercepted and most landing harmlessly in empty fields. Three Palestinians were reported killed in early strikes, but the figure has not been updated in some time. An infant was reportedly among the slain.
It’s not even clear what is being targeted at this point. The rockets, of course, are pretty inaccurate, and just getting them into southern Israel seems to be the best Hamas can manage. The Israeli military says they are hitting “strategic targets,” but this mostly means factories that they claim are manufacturing tunnels or the like.
Egypt is scrambling to try to come up with another temporary ceasefire overnight, and so far has little to show for it. The UN has also urged both sides to come back from the brink.
Perhaps the most unusual aspect of this exchange is that Hamas is being very public about its involvement, saying that the resistance has taken it upon themselves to “level the playing field with the enemy.” In previous exchanges, Hamas seemed eager to make a deal quickly to stop the firing.
Israel got $1,000,000,000 from our congress to build the Irone dome. We provided several rush money after other Israel attack on neighbors. Israel is selling the Iron dome but apparently is unable to stop the firecracker home made rockets of hamas. Israel should be ashamed of its aggression on Gaza. I guess the money they smell in the gas fields off shore knock out any human feelings for those suffering in Gaza from Israel aggression. BTW god help Israel when they finally attack Iran and face an enemy who is able to defend against being attack. Israel lost the war in Syria and they will become very well armed. I wonder if Russia will start proving anti aircraft systems to shot down the IDF jets.
Isn’t it convenient for some helpful Arabs to shoot ‘bottle rockets” into the Israeli desert to provide an excuse for Israel to then bomb the defenseless Palestinians into oblivion? Too convenient. I’ve believed for some time now, that the IDF has a special forces type squad that, when a provocation is needed, dresses up like ragtag Arabs and goes into Palestine and launches some harmless crap. This kind of activity matches perfectly the Mossad’s penchant for “deception”
I think you’re probably right about that.
On the other hand, Hamas often takes open and explicit credit for rocket and mortar attacks. Whether that means they’re still operating in Israeli interests as they were founded to do, or are just militarily incompetent and too stupid not to advertise their failures, who knows?
Hamas is demonstrating it is “shoot or don’t shoot,” not just “you shoot at us while we take it without shooting back.” What Hamas said and what they are doing makes a certain sense seen in that light.
That may not work out well for Hamas or for Gaza. Israel is unhinged, and proudly so, as what it calls “conventional deterrence.” Under those “Hama Rules” the counter is different too.
These “missiles” are pieces of pipe filled with gunpowder that lack a “warhead.” It is a symbolic act of defiance with little effect. Look at the pictures of these “missiles” they are rusting. Hardly the high technology they are portrayed as being. Look at the damage they do, perhaps a hole in a roof of a building, meaning there was no explosion on impact.
If Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto had done the same thing there would have been a dozen Academy Award nominated movies recounting their bravery.
These “missiles” are pieces of pipe filled with gunpowder that lack a “warhead.” It is a symbolic act of defiance with little effect. Look at the pictures of these “missiles” they are rusting. Hardly the high technology they are portrayed as being. Look at the damage they do, perhaps a hole in a roof of a building, meaning there was no explosion on impact.
I made a reciprocal comparison and it was flagged. You can image if things were reversed.
The missiles vary a lot. There are a lot more of various types where those came from. This could get uglier for everyone. I suspect Hamas controls some precision-guided missiles, because everybody else does. Once those come out, the Israelis will go crazy.
No, Israel reacts most to non-violent actions-see what happened to the march for return. Israel cannot act in any way except violence, and the sad pathetic responses from Hamas or desperate young people in Gaza with no hope are not quite the “war” which other media are claiming.