Gaza

Ceasefire Reached After Rockets, Airstrikes Produce Bloody Weekend in Gaza

Op-Ed: Hamas wanted to send a message to Israel and in two days, they launched nearly 700 rockets into Israeli territory. Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and moved armor up to the border area in the latest outbreak of violence. When the smoke cleared, 24 Palestinians were dead with hundreds wounded and 4 Israelis were killed, with another 234 wounded.

The Egyptians brokered another ceasefire which began at 0130 hours local on Monday. They are trying to hammer out a long-term deal but the chances of that happening or ever coming to fruition are slim.

Hamas is trying to force the Israelis to ease blockade restrictions into Gaza and that it wanted to disrupt the upcoming music competition “Eurovision” which was slated to begin on Monday. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad vowed to “prevent the festival” in statements released by each.

“We will prevent the enemy from succeeding in establishing any festival aimed at harming the Palestinian narrative,” Palestinian Islamic Jihad released in a statement. Then Hamas began the weekend by launching 150 rockets into Israel.

The Israelis then began a series of airstrikes in Gaza City at the site of the rocket launches as well as targeting Hamas military targets. And as is the norm for Hamas, they launched their rockets from the middle of crowded neighborhoods, knowing full well that the Israelis would immediately launch counter-strikes before the first rockets hit the ground. Many of the Hamas commanders and their fighters’ homes were targeted as well.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘s office told David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, and ambassadors from Europe that Hamas was “committing a double war crime by indiscriminately shooting at civilians from civilian centers.”

The resultant civilian casualties are always what Hamas counts on, including two pregnant women, two infants and a child — were killed, along with two unborn children. However, the Israelis were quick to point out one Palestinian woman and child were not hit by Israeli strikes but from a malfunctioning Hamas rocket. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the IDF, said in a statement that, “It was from internal fire,” he said.

The IDF said it struck rocket launchers, tunnel shafts, “terror squads and operatives,” and weapons-making factories belonging to Hamas, who controls Gaza, and the Iranian-funded group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Of the 690 rockets fired from Gaza at Israel, the IDF announced that their “Iron Dome” missile defense system, successfully shot down 240 of the rockets. In response, Israel targeted over 350 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza. The Israelis killed a senior Hamas commander allegedly involved in transferring Iranian funds to the group was killed during an airstrike.

On Monday, Netanyahu said that “the campaign is not over and requires patience and judgment. We are preparing to continue. The goal was and remains to ensure the peace and security of the residents of the south.”

This latest spate of violence began on Friday when Islamic Jihad fired across the border and hit two Israeli soldiers. The airstrikes in retaliation killed two Hamas militants. Then on Saturday, Hamas began launching missiles at Israel which further escalated events. The two sides had attacked each other in March before the Egyptians stepped in again to broker yet another ceasefire.

Among the dead on the Israeli side was a 68-year old man whose minivan was hit with a Russian made Kornet wire-guided, anti-tank missile. Hamas took credit for that and proclaimed “victory” in that Israel has promised to expand the fishing limits for Gaza fishermen, Israel will stop shooting at Palestinians during the weekly protests near the border, also known as the Great March of Return; easing the blockade on the Gaza Strip; allowing international relief organizations to assist families whose houses were destroyed in the last round of fighting; an end to Israeli targeted assassinations.

With the influx of tourists this week for Eurovision. Netanyahu was forced between a rock and a hard place. But for Israeli citizens who live close to the Gaza border and who provided the Prime Minister the edge in the latest election, they’re wanting a much harder line between the government and Hamas.

But this isn’t the end of this latest back and forth affair. Israel this week celebrates their Memorial Day followed by Independence Day. For the Palestinians in Gaza, this week begins the Holy month of Ramadan. Tensions always get high during this time frame.

Of course, as soon as the violence erupted, American Congresswoman and noted anti-semite Ilhan Omar jumped into the fray with this latest bit on social media.

@IlhanMN – How many more protesters must be shot, rockets must be fired, and little kids must be killed until the endless cycle of violence ends?

The status quo of occupation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unsustainable. Only real justice can bring about security and lasting peace.

She must have forgotten or doesn’t know (nor care) that Israel doesn’t occupy Gaza. The Israelis withdrew years ago leaving behind warehouses full of food and synagogues. Which the Palestinians burned… but the truth never got in the way of a good social media rant to incite the sheeple….right?

Photos of Offices of Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh – Rimal: IDF

Israelis Blast Hamas Targets in Gaza After Latest Rocket Attacks

The Israeli Defense Forces launched a series of airstrikes in Gaza after the latest round of rocket attacks launched by militants in Gaza streamed toward Israel. Tensions are rising in the area as Israel called up some of their reserve Air Force, Intelligence and Special Forces units.

Things began badly on Monday when Hamas launched rockets at Tel Aviv, several Israelis were injured when a rocket hit their house. Israel responded with air attacks on several Hamas military targets.

Then on Tuesday night, around 9 p.m. Israel’s air raid sirens sounded in the southern half of the country when Hamas militants launched a rocket supposedly at the Eshkol Regional Council. Israel quickly responded with a series of blistering air attacks.

Hamas then countered with a barrage of rockets launched toward the southern city of Ashkelon. However, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad denied responsibility for the rocket barrage and blamed it on “rogue elements” in the Gaza strip.

Meanwhile, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov urged the United Nations Security Council in a rare move on Wednesday to condemn Hamas’ provocations in Gaza.

“A new conflict will be devastating for the Palestinian people, it will have consequences for Israelis, who live in the vicinity of the Gaza perimeter, and it is likely to have regional repercussions. This is why I ask you all today to join the United Nations in condemning the continued indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas towards Israel. Such acts of provocation only dramatically increase the risk of escalation and ultimately damage our collective efforts to support the people of Gaza and intra-Palestinian reconciliation. We must also call on all sides to exercise maximum restraint as the situation remains extremely tense.”

The IDF was having any of the talk about “rogue elements” and put the blame squarely on Hamas and held them solely responsible.

“The Hamas terror organization bears responsibility for everything in and around the Gaza Strip,” the army said in a statement. “The IDF is determined to continue protecting the Israeli citizens and is prepared for a variety of scenarios.”

The Israeli Air Force blasted sites of Gaza’s Hamas rulers and the smaller Islamic Jihad group. The targets included a multistory building in Gaza City that reportedly had served as a Hamas military intelligence headquarters and the office of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Hamas reported seven casualties in the strikes, all civilians.

This is a dangerous time in the region. We’re approaching the one-year anniversary of the March of Return protests, which began March 30, 2018. During these protests along the border between Gaza and Israel, 190 of the Palestinians were killed and even more wounded in the past year. Now, the terror group hopes to draw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the border to riot and try to breach the security fence with their most hated enemy. The goal is to ease the blockade but it has thus far been unsuccessful.

But Hamas didn’t plan on what unfolded just a week ago. Palestinians protested in the streets against Hamas, blaming the terror group for the dire plight the people are in right now. And they were cracked down on badly, Hamas men fired into the crowds, and beat up and arrested countless others.

As Hamas is encountering its worst problem in the 12 years that they’ve been in power, the blockade by Israel and Egypt, sanctions by the Palestinian Authority, and terrible governmental mismanagement by the Hamas leadership have left the region in tatters. Unemployment is running north of about 50 percent.

Also happening in Israel is the upcoming election where Benjamin Netanyahu is locked in a very tight race for re-election. With the election right around the corner on April 9, a new war in Gaza with Hamas could prove to be devastating for his reelection bid. He’s is getting criticism from both supporters and opponents for failing to contain Hamas.

But the savvy Netanyahu also knows that he can’t back down either. He raced home from the United States after the initial rocket attack and has made it clear that Israel will not stand for more.

“Hamas needs to know that we will not hesitate to go in and take all necessary steps, regardless of anything, any date, other than Israel’s security needs,” he said.

He later added, “I can tell you, we are prepared to do a lot more,” he said. “We will do what is necessary to defend our people and to defend our state.”

Palestinians weren’t taking any unnecessary risks after the air strikes, staying at home and indoors. Businesses and shops were closed, schools didn’t open. And if they needed a reminder, it was reported that despite the calm, Israeli drones stayed overhead, waiting for the next rocket launch and ready to pounce.

So with the Egyptian delegation in Gaza in long sessions with Hamas, they’ll try to hammer out something longer than just a ceasefire, but in reality, the peace will only be temporary here for quite some time.

As Israeli troops mass on the border, neither side wants another large scale protracted war, but it seems that their both being thrust into one anyway.

File Photo of Israeli tanks on the Golan Heights: IDF

Hamas Offering $1 Million Dollar Bounty For Israeli Identities in Nov. Raid

The botched special operation conducted by the Israelis in Gaza back in November was widely publicized at the time and spurred the response of Hamas, which launched nearly 500 rockets at Israel in the aftermath. It is proof, that even excellently produced plans, conducted by seasoned, tried and true professionals can go awry.

Hamas is now offering a $1 million dollar bounty to anyone who can identify the Israeli operatives who they claim were the ones involved in the operation. They posted pictures of the operatives on social media, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) censors blurred the images on Israeli social media and television.

During this operation which took place on November 11, several Israeli Special Operations operatives from Sayeret Matkal, the elite special operations unit had crossed into Gaza and were operating near Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to Hamas, the team members entered Gaza from Israel through an opening in the fence on a foggy night in an undisclosed area covered with woods in October of 2018. They allegedly used fake Gazan IDs and had forged documents of humanitarian workers. They were on an intelligence gathering operation where they were planting eavesdropping devices to monitor Hamas communications. Things began to go awry when the Israeli unit was stopped by Hamas security forces, who believed them at the time to be a criminal gang and not Israeli operatives.

When their cover was blown, the Israeli and Hamas forces began to shoot it out. A senior Hamas security officer and the commander of the Israeli team were killed. Another Israeli operative was seriously wounded. The team raced to a prearranged exfiltration point where IDF helicopters picked up the remaining members of the team.

IDF Air Force planes then bombed the vehicles that the team had used to stop any intelligence gathering attempt by Hamas inside the vehicles and provide close air support for the team against quick reaction forces of Hamas. The Israelis claim that “between 16 and 20 Hamas members were killed and another 40 to 60 were wounded.” IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said the special forces “completed many operations in recent years that benefit Israel’s security.”

Israeli vehicle destroyed by the IDF after the team of operatives left Gaza to prevent intelligence gathering from the vehicle.

Speaking to Israeli television news on Saturday, Eisenkot said “there were mistakes made” in that operation as well as “heroic actions.”

The Israelis are conducting an internal investigation on the mission which according to Hamas, involved 12-15 operatives who had been crossing the border frequently in the months leading up to the mission. They apparently possessed falsified documents and had posed as employees of an aid agency.

In the immediate aftermath of the operation, Hamas began to round up anyone suspected of helping the Israeli team. They arrested “45 agents after the security incident east of Khan Younis last November and they are under investigation.”

They then responded with rocket and mortar attacks that targeted Israel. They fired about 460 projectiles in Israeli territory. One man, a Palestinian laborer was killed when a rocket hit a building was working at in the city of Ashkelon and 27 people were wounded. They also published a video where they launched an anti-tank missile at a bus that they claimed was used by the IDF to shuttle troops.

The IDF Air Force responded with massive air strikes inside the Gaza Strip. At least seven more Palestinians were killed. Then Egypt brokered a cease-fire that stopped the bombing and rocket fire …for now.

On Saturday, Hamas released a video that shows surveillance footage taken from cameras located on the road near Khan Younis. The video, which aired on Hamas TV and by the Hamas-affiliated news agency Shehab, is made up of surveillance footage and animated reenactment of the operation. It is typical of the Hamas production with dramatic music interspersed with bold graphics.

In the compilation shown, there are two commercial vehicles which Hamas says was used by the Israeli team can be seen driving around Khan Younis. The footage also allegedly shows two Israeli operatives, a man and a woman, in what appears to be a grocery store.

The vehicles had been spotted by Hamas security forces but they believed they were dealing initially with a criminal gang and resultant gang activity.

Hamas spokesman Abu Obaida, from their military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, gave the brief presentation complete with military fatigues and his head wrapped in a scarf. He said the terror group was offering “a pardon to any possible collaborators” who assisted the Israeli teams and would help in identifying them. He said Hamas would also offer $1 million for information about the Israeli special forces.

Hamas had already published photos of eight people and two vehicles it said were linked to the operation immediately after the operation. This action prompted the Israeli army censor to appeal to the public and media not to republish any of the images. (Which are blurred here)

Hamas published photos of alleged Israeli operatives in Gaza, that have been blurred by Israeli army censors.

“Israel should be concerned about the trove of information we have,” Abu Obaida said, warning Palestinians “who collaborate with Israel and assist the Israeli forces’ infiltration, we’ll get to them.” He claimed that they tracked the Israeli team, not only in Gaza but in other countries in the Middle East. One member of the team allegedly rented a beachfront property in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza which the team used as an assembly point.

Hamas also released photos of the weapons and other equipment, including saws, drills and two pistols with silencers, that were allegedly left behind from the Israeli team. The Hamas video can be seen here:

Photos: Screenshots from Hamas video

Israeli Infiltration Shocks Hamas In Aftermath of Shootout

Last week on November 11, an Israeli intelligence operation went awry in Gaza and the Israeli operatives, after having their cover blown by security forces, were forced to shoot their way out. In the bloody shootout that followed, the senior Israeli officer, identified only as LTC “M” was killed. A reserve Captain was seriously wounded. Six Hamas security men were killed, including a senior member of Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

The Israeli operatives belonged to a very select Special Operations unit known as “Mista’arvim” in their military, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Mista’arvim is an Israeli security counter-terrorism unit that operates undercover deep inside Arab-held territory. These units are trained to blend among the local Arab population. Most come from an Arab/Israeli background and are native Arabic speakers. Their missions include intelligence gathering, arrests of wanted terrorists, hostage rescue and assassinations, using disguise and surprise as their main weapons.

The name Mista’arvim is derived from the Arabic “Musta’arabi,” meaning “those who live among the Arabs.” Back in during the Arab rule in the 7th century, there were many Arabic-speaking Musta’arabi Jews who lived amongst the Arab population.

According to Hamas’ releases, the Israeli unit hadn’t been in Gaza for just a few days but had been there for some weeks. They traced their activities for some time and found that the unit had rented safe houses and been scouting strategic locations, including the homes of senior Hamas officials. They’ve called on the public to assist in finding out more information.

In doing so, the published the photos of the Israeli undercover operatives, which will probably preclude them from ever working undercover again. Hamas has stated that the Israelis were looking to plant spy devices at key locations in the Hamas-controlled town.

But in another release, they stated that the Israelis were there to kidnap Nur Barakeh, head of Hamas military wing. It was Barakeh, who reportedly was killed in the firefight that followed.

Hamas released the information about the Special Operations team because they’re trying to verify their own findings and are perhaps unsure of their own intelligence. Therefore, they released the information via social media in an effort to monitor the Israeli side of social media.

Israeli social media would be quick to speculate, try to identify and discuss the events that unfolded and may give Hamas the needed intelligence that they are seeking on this operation.

The IDF military censors are going all out for the citizens of Israel not to discuss the events on social media nor to share the photos that Hamas has released on the Special Operations team.

“Hamas is working now to interpret and understand the event that occurred within Gaza on November 11, and every piece of information, even if it is considered by the publisher as harmless, is liable for endangering human lives and damaging the security of the state,” said the IDF Military Censor this week.

“Without regard to the credibility of the details published by Hamas, we encourage you to refrain as much as possible from further distributing images, personally identifiable information, or other personal information which has come to your attention in the media, social networks, WhatsApp groups, and any other media platform. We must act responsibly.”

In fact, Hamas seems shocked by the depth that Israeli Special Operations teams have infiltrated Gaza. The realization that there are teams of elite Israeli Special Operatives working freely the streets of Gaza is a scary proposition for Hamas, rather than have a few of their citizenry who have collaborated with the Jews.

Once the Israelis left their undercover vehicles to board rescue helicopters, the IDF drones and air force bombed them to prevent Hamas from finding any usable intelligence, however, they did find several items of interest and are still trying to piece the entire operation together.

The Hamas security people initially believed that they were on the tail of criminals. They thought the Israelis were drug smugglers until the IDF began firing on the Hamas fighters with drones and aircraft. Barakeh, according to Hamas questioned the passengers of the vehicle, including two IDF officers dressed in women’s clothing. When their subterfuge failed, weapons were drawn and a firefight broke out. The Israeli newspaper Hadashot had a copy of the radio transcripts from the Hamas people during the operation.

“To all forces and posts, a blue VW vehicle is near the Islamic University, traveling suspiciously and fast. There are suspects inside the vehicle, they are dangerous, approach them cautiously.”

This was followed by, “The vehicle broke through our checkpoint and fired at us from within the vehicle,” the Hamas radio reported. And then once the battle commenced, the Israelis raced to a spot for exfiltration by helicopter as they were 2 miles from the border. But the tone changed in the Hamas radio chatter.

“Four fighter jets are above me. There was a strike near us. The jets are coming from the north. They attacked one of the (Hamas) cars. Hide. Close in on the Jews. Don’t let them leave Gaza,” one Hamas commander yelled into the radio during the bloody scrap.

In response to the firefight, Hamas then launched close to 500 rockets at Israel, many were intercepted by the Iron Dome air-defense artillery. However, one citizen was killed and over 100 were wounded. The Israelis responded with massive airstrikes that targeted over 160 military sites for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, four of which the IDF reported were of strategic importance. Then a truce, a cease-fire was brokered by the Egyptians and the area has settled down to an uneasy quiet…for now.

As a result, Hamas is now cracking down on its own people, their masked, police are now doing searches for “collaborators” who aided the Israelis. And in particular, a small van that may have either been driven by the Israels or by the Palestinians who helped them. Locals are being subjected to random searches of their persons and homes.

But this is normal operating procedure at times for Hamas. The leaders will root out political rivals, accuse them of spying for the Jews and executing them.

Regardless, the Hamas leadership is now operating in full-blown panic mode. They are seeing Israeli spies behind every wall and the political and military leaders of Hamas are reportedly not even speaking to one another.

Photo: Wikipedia

A Dangerous IDF Special Forces Mission Goes Awry

Opinion: The news wasn’t good for the Israeli Defense Forces earlier this week. One of their elite Special Forces units conducting an intelligence operation in Gaza across the border was compromised. In the ensuing shootout, one senior IDF officer, a Lieutenant Colonel in their Special Forces was killed and another SF operator was “moderately wounded” and is expected to survive. He’s recovering in an Israeli hospital in the intensive care unit. During the shootout, seven Palestinians were killed although Hamas claims only six were members of their military wing.

The press immediately proclaimed that this dangerous Israeli mission was pushing the region close to all-out war. Well, as always there is plenty of that going around.

What is known about the operation so far is that the Israelis were operating in an area outside of Khan Yunis and had been conducting a long-term operation. Outside of a small farming community of Abasan, they were compromised and fired upon by Hamas security forces.

In the initial exchange of gunfire, the commander of the IDF team was killed. He was only identified officially as LTC M. But he was lauded by both the IDF and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that the army owed him “more than we can say.”

The wounded officer, a captain in the reserves was shot in the back which exited near his groin. But he was still able to direct Israeli troops to their exfiltration point. Once they boarded helicopters, the IDF launched an airstrike destroying the vehicles they were riding in.

Hamas released a statement where they admitted that a commander of its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, Nour Baraka, as among the seven Palestinians killed. They claimed that the operation was an assassination or kidnapping of the Hamas commander possibly by the IDF’s Duvdevan unit.

But IDF spokesman Ronen Manelis hinted that the operation was part of their long-standing intelligence-gathering missions. “It is the sort of thing that takes place every night, and in most instances remains under the media’s radar.”

“It is an operation that takes time to plan. Commanding it directly are the Head of Intelligence and the Chief of General Staff. We are talking about an operation that was well planned right down to the smallest of details,” Manelis said.

This sounds more like a Sayeret Matkal operation. Sayeret Matkal is also known in the IDF as Unit 269 is the principal Sayeret or reconnaissance unit in the IDF. They are used to obtain strategic intelligence behind enemy lines and to perform hostage-rescue missions on foreign soil. They report directly Military Intelligence Directorate.

The Israelis didn’t need a long mission with people on the ground to assassinate a Hamas commander. There were numerous ways it could have been conducted that wouldn’t have been so overt. Especially with the Prime Minister trying to make concerted efforts to ease the suffering of the people there.

However, the mainstream media has made little mention of the Hamas response, which was to launch over 370 rockets at Israel from launch sites inside of Gaza. Apparently, that was considered a justifiable response. One Israeli civilian was killed and 10 others wounded. The Israelis then unleashed air strikes on the missile sites and also took out the Hamas owned and operated Al-Aqsa television station. The Israelis claim that the station is nothing more than a propaganda wing of Hamas.

Hamas tried to deflect the blame on Israel saying it wanted a truce and the prospects of peace was in Israel’s hands, which played well to the international press. But another issue that it failed to mention was that Islamic Jihad, two weeks ago, launched over 30 rockets at Israel, supposedly on the orders of the Iranian regime.

Hamas has been not been popular among the Palestinians lately, however this latest episode instead of furthering their stature among the Palestinians has re-elevated them to the status of heroes again.

To the Israelis, and the Netanyahu government, this is not coming at a good time. With tensions rising in Lebanon with Hezbollah, where the IDF is supposedly is planning operations, they don’t need another conflict on their border. But they also no that there is little hope for true peace with the regime. “There is no diplomatic solution to Gaza,” he said.

“You can’t have a political resolution with people who are committed to your destruction,” he said.

The operation, which went awry, is a testament to how dangerous these missions can be. The Israelis continuously conduct these, which are quite risky, but where they gain their intelligence on what is happening outside of their borders. Their operators, dress in Arab clothes, speak fluent Arabic and take incredible risks.

But it is also one of the reasons why they have the best intelligence in the region by far.

Photo: Wikipedia

Kushner: US Will Present Its Own Peace Plan for the Middle East Soon

The Trump administration’s senior envoy to the Middle East, Jared Kushner said that the United States will soon present its own peace plan for the Middle East after meeting with regional leaders.

He also slammed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for refusing to meet with him during the recent talks.

Kushner’s comments were published in the Sunday edition of the Arabic-language Al-Quds newspaper. Kushner has spent the week discussing the plan with leaders from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar.
Kushner did call on Abbas to join the talks: “If President Abbas is willing to come back to the table, we are ready to engage; if he is not, we will likely air the plan publicly.”
“However, I do question how much President Abbas has the ability to, or is willing to, lean into finishing a deal. He

has his talking points which have not changed in the last 25 years,” Kushner added.
Abbas has refused to meet with US officials following Trump’s decision last year to officially recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and relocate the US Embassy there. The US relocated its embassy to Jerusalem and opened it in May.
Palestinian leaders say the move confirms their long-held suspicions that the US is not an honest broker in the on-again, off-again peace talks, but is allied with Israel.
Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat criticized Kushner’s effort on Saturday and accused him of trying to topple the Abbas-led government, which presides over the West Bank.
Erekat also slammed the Trump administration for trying to dismantle the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees. The negotiator doubled down on his criticism Sunday during an interview on Israeli television, saying the Washington negotiators were “not neutral” and predicting the US plan would fail.

Arab leaders want a two-state solution, but the Palestinians insist on having the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem completely under their control. But beyond that, the peace plan will ultimately fail as long as one side claims the other doesn’t have a right to exist.

To read the entire article from Deutsche Welle, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Israeli Hit Nine Hamas Military Targets in the Gaza Strip

Israel has launched airstrikes at Hamas Islamist militant targets in the northern Gaza Strip early Monday responding to incendiary kites and balloons continue to be sent across into Israeli territory.

Israeli jets blasted nine targets responding to the continuing assaults that has caused extensive damage, to include three rocket launches.

Sirens also sounded in Israeli areas near the Gaza Strip at daybreak and the army said three rockets had been launched towards Israeli territory, but one fell short in the Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported from the rockets or air strikes.
In recent weeks, Palestinians have sent kites dangling coal embers or burning rags across the Gaza border to set fire to arid farmland and forests, others have carried small explosive devices in a new tactic that has caused extensive damage.
The Israeli military has fired warning shots from the air and destroyed property belonging to the kite launchers but has refrained from targeting them. Some Israeli ministers have called for those launchers to be targeted directly.
Israel has drafted in civilian drone enthusiasts as army reservists, instructing them to fly their remote-controlled aircraft into the kites, an Israeli general said, but an effective means to stop the kites has yet to be found.
“These are terrorist acts that endanger Israeli residents living in southern Israel and damage extensive areas in Israeli territory,” the military statement said of the kites and balloons.
At least 125 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops during mass demonstrations along the Gaza border since March 30 and the men sending the kites over the fence believe they have found an effective new weapon.
Around two million people live in Gaza, most of them the stateless descendants of refugees from what is now Israel. The territory has been controlled by Hamas for more than a decade, during which it has fought three wars against Israel.

Both Israel and Egypt have enforced a blockade of the strip citing the obvious security concerns and as a result, the living conditions and economic crisis inside the strip has gotten progressively worse in the past decade.

To read the entire article from Reuters, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Hamas Launches Mortar Attack on Israel From Gaza

In three separate attacks, Hamas mortars launched about 30 mortar shells at targets in southern Israel. It was the largest attack against Israel from Gaza since 2014.

Most of the mortar shells were intercepted by the Israeli “Iron Dome” air defense system, the rounds that did impact caused only slight damage and one civilian was lightly wounded by shrapnel from the round. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond with “great force” this latest attack from Gaza.

The head of the Eshkol region told Channel 10 news that the army told him the attack was carried out by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, as revenge for the Israel Defense Forces killing three of its members in a cross-border exchange earlier in the week.
The Iran-backed Islamic Jihad did not immediately take responsibility for the mortar attacks, but its spokesperson praised them, saying “the blood of our people is not so cheap that the terrorists (Israel) can do what they want without deterrence.”
There were no immediate reports of a significant Israeli military retaliation to the attacks. Massive reprisal raids were expected, following the repeated, highly irregular mortar shellings on Tuesday morning.
Following the Gaza mortar attacks, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman called for a “special situational assessment” from IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot and other senior figures from Israel’s security services. They were due to meet in the army’s Tel Aviv headquarters, known as the Kirya, Liberman’s office said.
Palestinian media reported that Hamas and other terrorist groups were abandoning their positions in the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected forceful response by the IDF.
The initial, primary bombardment came at 7 a.m., when approximately 25 mortar shells were toward the Sha’ar Hanegev and Eshkol regions, as parents were beginning to send their children to school, the IDF said.

The Israelis were then attacked along the border as Hamas operatives were placing improvised explosive devices along the fence disguised as bolt cutters. The Israelis responded with tank fire which reportedly killed three members of Hamas.

To read the entire article from Times of Israel, click here:

Photo courtesy Israeli police

Israeli Strikes Hamas Tunnel, Outpost and Boats in Gaza

After Hamas orchestrated the “peaceful protest” that the world bought into, the Israeli military wasn’t waiting around for the next one. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), struck at a tunnel as well as two boats that the Palestinians were using to block the blockade.

Palestinian media reported that a training compound belonging to Hamas’ military wing and two boats in the Gaza seaport were targeted in the strike. According to Palestinian reports, the targeted boats were due to depart from the port in an attempt to break the naval blockade on the Strip.
Local residents reported hearing three explosions at the port. A fire broke out at the scene, which rescue forces were working to extinguish.
There were no casualties in the incident, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The strikes were in response to Tuesday’s events when a group of about ten Palestinian approached the border fence near Rafah, according to the Israeli army. Despite the army’s high alert, the group managed to cut through the fence and reach an outpost set up for Israeli snipers due to recent border protests.
The outpost was empty at the time and the Palestinian managed to set it on fire. Afterward they returned to Gaza. The army claims they were aware of the event as it was happening, however, it is unclear why the army would permit them to cross and damage the outpost.
An Israeli army tank fired Tuesday on a Hamas outpost in response to the incident.
This is not the first time Palestinians manage to infiltrate into Israel. In one incident at the end of March, three Palestinians armed with grenades and knives entered Israel and were arrested more than 12 miles inside Israeli territory, near the Tze’elim army base in the south. Days earlier, four Palestinians had illegally crossed the border trying to set fire to military vehicles.

On Tuesday night Israeli security forces arrested four Palestinians suspected of terrorist activities and violent rioting against citizens and security personnel in the West Bank town of Rantis.

They also confiscated funds used to support terrorist operations and seized several weapons.

To read the entire article from Haaretz, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Two Dead in Protests at Gaza Border Over US Embassy Move

As the preparations were being finalized to officially open the United States embassy in Jerusalem, protests across the border in Gaza turned violent as thousands of Palestinians marched toward the border. Two were killed and at least 69 wounded in exchanges with the Israeli border guards.

Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank were being urged to come out and protest not only the U.S. embassy move but also the 70^th anniversary of what they call the “Nakba” or catastrophe…as they call the creation of the state of Israel.

Israel Police are preparing for the U.S. embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem with thousands of policemen deployed through the city. At 4:00 P.M. (Israel Time), the official ceremony will take place at the U.S. Consulate in the Arnona neighborhood of Jerusalem, which will officially become the U.S. embassy this week.
Clashes erupted between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters marching from Ramallah towards the Qalandiyah security barrier near Jerusalem. Israeli Army is also confronting dozens of protest marchers in the north of Bethlehem.
A Palestinian, 29, was killed by Israeli live gunfire east of Jabaliya, the Gaza Health Ministry reports. This is the death reported from Monday’s protest.

The Arab League is meeting to condemn the “illegal” U.S. move of its embassy to Jerusalem, the site of its consulate until today. Not surprisingly, Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri released a video on Sunday condemning the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem, calling on Muslims to wage jihad against the U.S.

He also called out Palestinian leaders for their “policy of appeasement.” He also called Tel Aviv, the land of the Muslims, however, the city was settled by Jewish immigrants early in the 20^th century.

To read the entire article from Haaretz, click here:

Photo screenshot of Reuters video, Palestinian protester drags burning tires to the border between Gaza and Israel