An Israeli minister from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party said Israel would start “preemptively” attacking targets in Gaza before Hamas or other groups launch rockets towards Israeli territory.
“We cannot wait for rocket fire [to respond in Gaza],” said Tzachi Hanegbi in an interview with Israel’s Channel 13. He said if Hamas is rearming or preparing rockets that it would be “cause for Israeli strikes” in Gaza. “This is a total change of the equation. We’ve never done this,” he said.
Hanegbi’s comments come after Israel’s 11-day bombing campaign in Gaza, which concluded on Friday after a ceasefire was reached. The Israeli bombardment killed 248 Palestinians, including 66 children. In Israel, 12 people were killed by rockets launched from Gaza, including two children.
The Israelis destroyed critical civilian infrastructure in Gaza and many residential buildings, claiming Hamas had offices or operated out of the targeted structures. But Israel rarely offers evidence that Hamas was operating out of buildings it targets.
The owner of a building that was destroyed by Israel last week that housed offices for media outlets, including The Associated Press, said he never saw evidence that there was a Hamas presence in the tower.
But the Israeli claims about Hamas are enough to excuse bombing civilian homes and killing children for Israel’s biggest backer, the United States. After the ceasefire was reached, President Biden promised to “replenish” the Iron Dome, one of Israel’s missile-defense systems, and said there’s been “no shift” in his commitment to Israel.
Considering how liberally Israel uses claims about Hamas to justify airstrikes, bombings under the guise of preventing a Hamas attack means the entire Gaza Strip is a potential target, whether or not rockets are being fired.
Hanegbi also said that he believes Israel did enough damage in the latest bombing campaign that it does not have to worry about attacks from Gaza for up to 15 years. “I’m very optimistic. I don’t know if it’ll be 15 years, maybe more,” he said.
Hmm. May be they will preemptively bomb — that would be novel, why not try. Or may be it will be quiet for 15 years. Or may be we should just not provoke till next elections?
Or may be — as things are shaping — Egypt’s peace contingent will not leave?
Tricky, as bombing would cause international incident.
Talking about the aid outside o Israel’s control and the cut it takes for its “services” — might be what Egypt has in mind? Using Egyptian crossing for aid instead?
At present, there is a consensus on Palestinian issue across vast political spectrum. Russia and China just concluded their session held biannually on strategic issues — topic Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Very much a unifying theme between Iran ad Saudi Arabia, it is possible that Saudi plan may be resurrected calling for Israel’ withdrawal from occupied territories to establish two state solution.
Either way, not going back to Israel aline deciding in Gaza security. We will see how it plays out.
The game plan by Israel:1) Provoke a response, 2) bomb the sh-t out of Gaza when the response comes.
Now, it looks like a different game plan; bomb the sh-t out of Gaza, and, oh, tell the U.S. we need more replenishing of our guided missiles and another $3.8 billion for more “defense”.
Withdrawal from occupied territories? BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Israel has the bomb and they will tell the world to f-ck off, like Bibi did to Biden last week.
Historians. Wasn’t HAMAS the democratically elected government of Gaza?
Didn’t Israel invade and replace the government?
Please enlighten us.
Yes. When Hamas won, the response from Israel and the U.S. was instantaneous.
since when was Hamas replaced?
A violent coup attempt against Hamas failed, and the US/Israeli strong man who was used to attempt that (Dahlan) has been in hiding ever since.
Just read this: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/23/backed-by-israeli-police-jewish-settlers-storm-al-aqsa-compound
Our government is owned by AIPAC, lock, stock and barrel. A true leader, with balls, would have picked up the phone and screamed in Bibi’s ear that the funding is now on hold. Period.
I am so enraged now.
Biden has no leverage over “Bibi”. The prime minister of Holy Israel would wave his middle finger, and what could Biden do about it? Almost every Congressman and Senator is in bed with AIPAC.
In any event, Biden basically approves of what has been going on over there. It’s no accident the 2020 Dem primary was ‘fixed’ so he emerged the candidate.
The Apartheid state is going to murder Palestinians, and that’s true even if there is never ever another missile fired from Gaza.
I don’t do twitter, but sometimes I run into some good links to that site. This one is by a Bangladeshi comedian named Aamer Rahman. These are 6 images of ‘modified’ IDF propaganda.
The Israeli military made these cute Instagram cartoons to explain the situation in Gaza, so I made some minor corrections
Pretty good stuff!
The Israelis started the last round, and they’ll start the next, whenever it suits their evil purposes to do so.
I’m beginning to wonder if Disqus is flagging my posts for deletion, for another has disappeared.
My point of posting the cartoons from Aamer Rahman was that the Apartheid state is going to continue to murder Palestinians – even if not a one of the Paleos ever does so much as say “Boo”.
https://twitter.com/aamer_rahman/status/1393510727915278336
Disqus often holds posts with links as potential spam. When I find them, I rescue them.
He’s rubbing Biden’s nose in it; and making him say how yummy it is.
Both sides won a propaganda victory-“homo sapiens”