Two front war
Early Wednesday July 12, Hizbollah bombarded northern Israel with rockets and attacked Israeli forces killing 7 soldiers and kidnapping two. This is an act of war against Israel. Hizbollah has been using this tactic for years, firing rockets followed by a direct attack and kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, that has also been adopted by Hamas. How this additional IDF fashla (screw-up) occured after so many warnings of kidnappings is of great concern. Last time this happened in the north, Israel tried diplomatic means to retrieve the soldiers, but later found that the soldiers had been killed soon after their capture. So this time the IDF went into Lebanon immediately with a ground assault and air strikes against Hizbollah targets. Meanwhile inhabitants in the north are spending nights in the shelters again.
Why did Sheikh Nasrallah, the Head of Hizbollah, decide to take this action. Probably he wanted to show active support for their Hamas allies in Gaza, and did not want them to be seen as the main actors against Israel. Since the kidnapping in Gaza worked, it makes sense that he should also take a similar action, which to him is not an escalation, but a continuation of the situation as before. Since Israel gave up 400 prisoners in an exchange with Hizbollah in 2004 for the bodies of three Israeli soldiers and for a retired Army businessman (who was prepared to carry out a traitorous deal with them), and this increased Nasrallah's stature in the Arab world, he is trying to do the same again. It shows that such exchanges only lead to further kidnappings! The Egyptian Government announced that Israel was prepared to agree to an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Cpl. Shalit, but Hamas reneged on the deal due to dissension within their ranks.
PM Olmert announced that Israel holds the Lebanese Government responsible for this illegal action. Note that Hizbollah is part of the Lebanese Government and that they crossed the internationally recognized Israeli-Lebanese border to carry out this attack.. At least in this case, unlike Gaza, there is a recognized sovereign Government on the other side to hold accountable, although Lebanon has all but relinquished sovereignty in the south to Hizbollah, leaving it as the only remaining armed militia in Lebanon. The UN, US and Israel have all called upon the Lebanese Government to extend its control in the south to the Israeli border and to disarm Hizbollah, but the Lebanese Government has not moved, partly because they are afraid to come into direct conflict with Hizbollah and the Shia population in the south that supports it. Nevertheless, after the expulsion of Syria from Lebanon many expected the Lebanese Government to act. If the IDF attacks Lebanese infrastructure, as it did last time there was major action by Hizbollah, then the Lebanese Government might have the motivation and the excuse it needs to take action.
It is now very dangerous to drive around parts of Gaza. If you are a terrorist and are going on a mission to launch rockets against Israeli territory it is almost suicidal. The IDF dropped leaflets warning the population to stay away from terrorist targets and rocket launchers. Israel has eyes and ears everywhere, and the level of intelligence is very high. Two cars have been targeted in the past few days and in each case there was an extensive explosion due to the transportation of bombs and/or rockets. In one of them the leader of the Hamas military wing in Gaza, Saed Raed, was wounded.
Also Wednesday the IAF targeted a large house in Sheikh Radwan belonging to Hamas leader Dr. Nabil al-Salmiah that was used as a planning center for terrorist activities. It was destroyed in the attack and it was reported that Mohammed Deif, the leader of the Hamas military wing in Gaza and the most-wanted man on Israel's list for master-minding many suicide bombings in Israel, was in the house at the time and was wounded. The military wing of Hamas denied this, but reported that 9 people were killed including Nabil al-Salmiah and his family. The IDF extended the Summer Rains operation and has now cut the Gaza strip into two by reaching the sea near Khan Yunis.
The attacks in both the north and the south are intended to test the center-left Government of PM Olmert and to challenge Israel's existence. Have you noticed how increasingly irrelevant the Fatah and Pres. Abbas have become in the current crisis situation, and how the Islamist axis of Hamas, Hizbollah, Syria and Iran are increasingly setting the agenda. But, the terrorists will be surprised that the retaliation of the IDF will be much more costly to them than they expect. By the end of this crisis I hope that Mashaal will be dead, Nasrallah will be unhappy, Assad may be out of power and the PA without a Government.
Why did Sheikh Nasrallah, the Head of Hizbollah, decide to take this action. Probably he wanted to show active support for their Hamas allies in Gaza, and did not want them to be seen as the main actors against Israel. Since the kidnapping in Gaza worked, it makes sense that he should also take a similar action, which to him is not an escalation, but a continuation of the situation as before. Since Israel gave up 400 prisoners in an exchange with Hizbollah in 2004 for the bodies of three Israeli soldiers and for a retired Army businessman (who was prepared to carry out a traitorous deal with them), and this increased Nasrallah's stature in the Arab world, he is trying to do the same again. It shows that such exchanges only lead to further kidnappings! The Egyptian Government announced that Israel was prepared to agree to an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Cpl. Shalit, but Hamas reneged on the deal due to dissension within their ranks.
PM Olmert announced that Israel holds the Lebanese Government responsible for this illegal action. Note that Hizbollah is part of the Lebanese Government and that they crossed the internationally recognized Israeli-Lebanese border to carry out this attack.. At least in this case, unlike Gaza, there is a recognized sovereign Government on the other side to hold accountable, although Lebanon has all but relinquished sovereignty in the south to Hizbollah, leaving it as the only remaining armed militia in Lebanon. The UN, US and Israel have all called upon the Lebanese Government to extend its control in the south to the Israeli border and to disarm Hizbollah, but the Lebanese Government has not moved, partly because they are afraid to come into direct conflict with Hizbollah and the Shia population in the south that supports it. Nevertheless, after the expulsion of Syria from Lebanon many expected the Lebanese Government to act. If the IDF attacks Lebanese infrastructure, as it did last time there was major action by Hizbollah, then the Lebanese Government might have the motivation and the excuse it needs to take action.
It is now very dangerous to drive around parts of Gaza. If you are a terrorist and are going on a mission to launch rockets against Israeli territory it is almost suicidal. The IDF dropped leaflets warning the population to stay away from terrorist targets and rocket launchers. Israel has eyes and ears everywhere, and the level of intelligence is very high. Two cars have been targeted in the past few days and in each case there was an extensive explosion due to the transportation of bombs and/or rockets. In one of them the leader of the Hamas military wing in Gaza, Saed Raed, was wounded.
Also Wednesday the IAF targeted a large house in Sheikh Radwan belonging to Hamas leader Dr. Nabil al-Salmiah that was used as a planning center for terrorist activities. It was destroyed in the attack and it was reported that Mohammed Deif, the leader of the Hamas military wing in Gaza and the most-wanted man on Israel's list for master-minding many suicide bombings in Israel, was in the house at the time and was wounded. The military wing of Hamas denied this, but reported that 9 people were killed including Nabil al-Salmiah and his family. The IDF extended the Summer Rains operation and has now cut the Gaza strip into two by reaching the sea near Khan Yunis.
The attacks in both the north and the south are intended to test the center-left Government of PM Olmert and to challenge Israel's existence. Have you noticed how increasingly irrelevant the Fatah and Pres. Abbas have become in the current crisis situation, and how the Islamist axis of Hamas, Hizbollah, Syria and Iran are increasingly setting the agenda. But, the terrorists will be surprised that the retaliation of the IDF will be much more costly to them than they expect. By the end of this crisis I hope that Mashaal will be dead, Nasrallah will be unhappy, Assad may be out of power and the PA without a Government.
posted by Jack Cohen at 10:52 AM
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