Good morning,
Gaza
Israel launched 160 airstrikes in one night Thursday, attempting to disarm Hamas and stop rocket attacks on Israeli cities. The aim is to hit not only Hamas leaders who have ordered the attack on Israel, but to permanently destroy rocket making and storage sites deep under ground. Palestinians say 109 are dead in Gaza including 17 children.
1000 shells (artillery and from ships) and air launched bombs have been fired into this tiny territory of 140 sq miles.
What’s been eye opening in this, is how many rockets Palestinians were able to assemble and deploy against Israel hitting coastal Cities including Tel Aviv and deeper into Israel striking Jerusalem itself. More than 1000 rockets have been fired from Israel into Israel, 190 last night. The question will be asked why didn’t Israeli intelligence have a better understanding of the threat and why didn’t Israeli leaders act sooner to dismantle a loaded gun pointed at Israel?
From Lebanon three rockets were fired into Israel, with no damage. The last thing Israel wants is to engage Lebanese Hezbollah at the same time its handling rockets fired from Gaza, but it’s possible a new front could open up against Israel if the Gaza conflict continues for a long.
Israel has called up thousands of reservists to beef up its ground forces and more will be called up today. There is talk of a ground invasion into Gaza but the notion of a ground invasion would be costly, and risky, and a last resort to destroy rocket launchers and storage sites. But limited strikes inside Gaza with special ground troops are likely.
Analysis:
Palestinians are hostage to Israeli troops massing on the edge of Gaza, but also to the extremists in control of Gaza including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. While the Palestinians were seen to be victims of Israeli heavy handed tactics on Temple Mount, and Al-Aqsa Mosque, when Israeli police used tear gas and rubber bullets to stop stone throwing, the narrative immediately changed when the rocket attacks began.
Israel has a right to defend itself, and rocket attacks inside Israel has drawn condemnation from World leaders, as it should. Extreme violence by Palestinians undermines trust and support for any talk of peace when it threatens civilian areas inside Israel. Palestinians would argue they are often victims of violence on their civilians, but rocket salvos are not anything that will be accepted by the international community, and once again violence will undermine Palestinian aims, not further discussions for peace.
No where does this violence play harder than inside Israel itself. Rocket attacks silence left leaning peace supporters, and emboldens Israels right far political parties, some of which are as extreme as Hamas. No Israeli would want to live next to an armed Palestinian State, so talk of Palestinian independence is lowered to a whisper, drowned out by air raid sirens and rocket explosions.