Monday, June 30, 2014

Is The Israel - Hamas Conflict About To 'Heat Up'?



Israel 'Ready' To Launch Major Offensive On Gaza Militant Groups -- The Telegraph

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, warns of large-scale response to increase in rocket fire from Gaza.

Israel is prepared to a launch a renewed large-scale offensive against militant groups in Gaza in response to an increase in rocket fire from the tiny coastal territory, the country’s leadership said on Sunday.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, led the warnings after the Israeli air force hit up to a dozen targets in Gaza on Sunday in the latest in a series of raids conducted in recent days. The strikes came after one of six missiles fired from Gaza on Saturday hit a paint factory in Sderot, an Israeli border town, setting it ablaze and forcing four workers to flee the site.

“We are ready to expand this operation as per need,” Mr Netanyahu told Sunday’s cabinet meeting. He said the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, was responsible for halting rocket fire from Gaza thanks to a recent unity deal struck with Hamas, the Islamist group in de facto control of the territory.

Read more ....

Update #1: Rocket barrage continues after Israel strikes Gaza -- i24 News
Update #2: Israel bombs Gaza after rocket attacks, Hamas gunman killed -- Reuters

My Comment: It looks like both sides are now gearing up for war. 

2 comments:

D.Plowman said...

Israel has been living with the Hamas threat on their border for as long as I can remember.

I always held the belief that Israel points itself out as weak and incapable of snuffing out threats as long as Hamas continues to aim rockets at it. I can't imagine a scenario in which many other countries would tolerate such a scenario. Can you imagine the US just letting things go by while the occassional rocket drifts over onto their border? Hardly. The Russians? Bloody unlikely...

Never been a fan of Netanyahu, all bark, no bite... and when he does bite, he chews a little bit off, then goes back to living in the same situation as before, accomplishing nothing.

Israel should have, could have, taken care of this problem to a higher extent many years ago, they didn't. Hamas has only grown stronger since then. Israel really need to go all the way this time or forever be known as a half-measure country.

Unknown said...

When the current spate of wars are over, Qatar and Hamas will no longer be on the map.