After almost 1,000 assorted rocket, missiles and mortars rained down on Israel over a period of roughly two days quiet has once again descended. Times of Israel reported a truce had been reached via the Egyptians and was implemented at 04:30 local time.
Four Israelis were killed. Murdered in the barrage. One of them was murdered by a Kornet anti-tank missile while driving his car. Think about that, these brave Hamas operatives took up their position with a view of a road near the Strip and courageously decided to shoot at a civilian vehicle instead of waiting for a military one.
A total of 25 Palestinians were killed during Israeli counter fire. Dozens of projectiles fired at Israel actually landed in Gaza by mistake and it is likely that one of these projectiles killed a pregnant mother and her 14 month old daughter. Hamas claims Israel did it.
Yesterday, Palestinian weapons caused the tragic death of a mother in Gaza and her baby. Hamas blamed Israel. Journalists amplified the lie. Our assessment indicates that the incident had nothing to do with IDF strikes.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 5, 2019
Obviously the situation in the South has been intolerable for a long time now, these flareups and then ceasefires are as effective as a bandaid on a severed artery. Even in 2014 when the IDF was sent into Gaza they didn’t go in far, rather went in just enough to find and destroy tunnels. That threat has largely (though not entirely) been neutralised by Israeli defensive measures so Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have merely changed tactics. I’m not sure what the answer is but those whose role it is to protect Israelis are going to have to come up with something, life cannot stop and start on the basis of decisions made by terrorists.
I had just got back from Israel where I had been celebrating Passover and missed this onslaught by a day. The barrage came just after Yom H’Shoah when Israel remembers the victims of the Holocaust. It’s things like this that make me feel so grateful that Israel exists, otherwise Jews would be at the mercy of these bastards whenever they decided to slit some throats.
It’s worth reading this account by Honest Reporting’s Simon Plosker on going to a house that suffered a direct hit from a rocket killing father of four Moshe Agadi.
In terms of those sitting on the sidelines weighing in on the basis of morality the last couple of days have exposed the rampant hypocrisy of those who speak about American attacks on innocent civilians but lose their voice when it comes to (actual) Palestinian indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Some interesting Twitterati moments:
Imagine if Americans had lived under military occupation for the past 52 years, and under blockade and siege for the past 12 years. Would Americans not defend themselves? https://t.co/8KDSnHwOLF
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 6, 2019
Note this:
@petersbeaumont @DanKaszeta Sorry I was referring to selective outrage over indiscriminate attacks on civilians in between and R2P stuff.
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 4, 2013
Selective outrage indeed.
For more than 10 days in March Hamas brutally suppressed Palestinians in Gaza, shooting them in the street and detaining journalists.This self-proclaimed human rights activist who pretends to care for the Palestinian people didn’t say a word.Not 1. For 10 days.Not even a tweet. https://t.co/CSb2a7sp3E
— Sean Durns (@SeanDurns) May 5, 2019
The Gaza News Agency, no fan of Israel, attacks Ariel Gold for lying in favour of Hamas. Ariel is so anxious to share Hamas propaganda she’ll even ignore Gazans @codepink @StandWithUs @SussexFriends @TheTowerDotOrg #Israel #IsraelUnderFire #IranRegimeChange pic.twitter.com/gzsdin1uVH
— The Zionist (@The_Zionist1) May 5, 2019
