Dangerous message
A Kassam rocket fired from Gaza hit Israel on Wednesday and a mortar was also fired into Israel later that day. A Grad missile hit Ashkelon on Friday Morning. It is no coincidence that the Arab League met on Thursday and authorized Pres. Abbas of the PA to restart direct talks with Israel depending on certain "assurances" from Pres. Obama. Hamas controls Gaza and is committed to the destruction of Israel and is against any talks with the Jewish State. These rockets were their message, not so much to Israel, but to Abbas and the PA, as well as the supporters in the Arab League, that Hamas does not accept to negotiate with Israel.
Israel lodged an official complaint at the UN because the firing of a rocket into a city is a "war crime," although fortunately noone was injured or killed. In Ashkelon there was extensive property damage and three people were treated for shock. Israel retaliated on Wednesday, with two attacks, on a weapons factory in the northern Gaza Strip and a tunnel to Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip. On Saturday, the IDF targeted and killed a senior Hamas terrorist and rocket maker, Issa Batran, commander of the Hamas military wing in central Gaza, and hit two other similar targets as before. Israel's policy of hitting back hard after every rocket attack should convince the Hamas leadership that it is not in their interests to continue to attack Israeli territory and civilians. Israel's ability to pick off senior Hamas figures almost at will might give them pause. Many senior Hamas and Hizbollah leaders now live undergound, moving secretly from place to place to avoid detection. However, another Katyusha missile hit a school near Sderot on Sat night and Hamas vowed revenge. So the "game" continues.
Meanwhile the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives voted to give another unprecendented m$422 in addition to the m$240 voted this year for Israeli anti-missile defence. The latter is to support the "Iron Dome" system and make it operational, which is for short range rockets. The latter will be for the Arrow system for longer range rockets. If these systems can be made to work effectively they will not only protect Israel, but will add to the knowledge, experience and ability of US forces to protect the US and its other allies from rocket attacks. The funds however need to be approved by the full House and the Senate, so it has a long way to go before implementation.
Israel lodged an official complaint at the UN because the firing of a rocket into a city is a "war crime," although fortunately noone was injured or killed. In Ashkelon there was extensive property damage and three people were treated for shock. Israel retaliated on Wednesday, with two attacks, on a weapons factory in the northern Gaza Strip and a tunnel to Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip. On Saturday, the IDF targeted and killed a senior Hamas terrorist and rocket maker, Issa Batran, commander of the Hamas military wing in central Gaza, and hit two other similar targets as before. Israel's policy of hitting back hard after every rocket attack should convince the Hamas leadership that it is not in their interests to continue to attack Israeli territory and civilians. Israel's ability to pick off senior Hamas figures almost at will might give them pause. Many senior Hamas and Hizbollah leaders now live undergound, moving secretly from place to place to avoid detection. However, another Katyusha missile hit a school near Sderot on Sat night and Hamas vowed revenge. So the "game" continues.
Meanwhile the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives voted to give another unprecendented m$422 in addition to the m$240 voted this year for Israeli anti-missile defence. The latter is to support the "Iron Dome" system and make it operational, which is for short range rockets. The latter will be for the Arrow system for longer range rockets. If these systems can be made to work effectively they will not only protect Israel, but will add to the knowledge, experience and ability of US forces to protect the US and its other allies from rocket attacks. The funds however need to be approved by the full House and the Senate, so it has a long way to go before implementation.
posted by Jack Cohen at 11:14 AM
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