Nadene Goldfoot
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| IDF Entering Gaza |
Noam Chomsky takes us back to
November 4, 2008, day of USA elections. He said,
"Israeli forces invaded Gaza, killed half a dozen Hamas
militants (I call them terrorists as they are listed as terrorists by the USA) that led to Qassam rockets attacking Israel, huge Israeli response, lots of killings---all Palestinians,
as usual."
It's the AS USUAL comment I take umbrage with and MILITANTS. That's his opinion, not backed up with facts. There's such a thing as cause and effect. Palestinians attack Israel and Israel strikes back. Israel has tried turning the other cheek, and southern Israel has been blitzed. That doesn't work. The Palestinians are unmoved by it. Israel and Jews are not anxious to die. They want to live, so do everything in their power to keep their people and themselves alive. Our motto is L' Chaim (TO LIFE).
On the other hand, the Muslims want to die, so they say, because if they die as martyrs, they go somewhere where they each will get 72 virgins. They will get parks named after them by Fatah. They have a completely different outlook. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE SUICIDE BOMBERS.
Let's look at what had been going on in the previous scene. A cease fire
started on June 19, 2008. Up to then, 2,378 rockets and mortars had been launched into Israel from Gaza in just that year of 2008. In 2007 there had been 1,639 attacks launched. What would have happened if your neighborhood had been under such an attack and this had been going on, getting worse, since 2001? You'd throw out your government and get someone in who would protect you and your family. This was southern Israel that was always being hit. Half of the state of Israel was under attack, and the northern part was under the gun from Lebanon.
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| Tunnel discovered in 2014 in Operation Protective Edge, One of many found and destroyed |
This happened before Israel's
Operation Cast Lead which occurred from December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009. Israel had launched a military incursion into the residential area of
Dayr al-Balah in central Gaza with the aim to destroy what was a tunnel on the Gaza-Israel border dug by militants to infiltrate into Israel and abduct soldiers.
An Israeli official is said to have told the Washington Times that they wanted to send Hamas a message.
Evidently Hamas didn't get the message as it now appears that they've been digging tunnels all along from then till the present, using them for kidnapping and getting right into Israel proper. Israel was to have said that the raid was not a violation of the ceasefire, but a legitimate step to remove an immediate threat.
Israeli infantry, tanks and bulldozers entered 250 miles into the Gaza Strip, the 1st major incursion since the June truce. A gunfight broke out where a Hamas fighter was killed and Hamas responded with a barrage of mortar and rocket fire at the Israeli troops. This was answered with 3 airstrikes on Hamas mortar and rocket positions that killed 5 Hamas terrorists.
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| Gaza's Hamas Terrorists |
According to eyewitnesses, (Israeli or Palestinian is not mentioned) another 3 Hamas fighters were wounded in an Israeli UAV strike over the el-Burejj refugee camp as well as 3 IDF wounded during the operation. Hamas said
they would take revenge for this "Israeli aggression" they said had violated the truce.
Hamas launched 35 rockets into southern Israel explained by Fawzi Barhoum as a "response to Israel's massive breach of the truce," He said the Israelis began this tension and they must pay an expensive price. They cannot leave us drowning in blood while they sleep soundly in their beds."
The rocket attacks increased during November 2008 nearing pre-truce levels. Clashes took place along the border during which 11 Hamas terrorists were killed. Between November 4 and about December 15th, more than 200 Qassam rockets and mortar shells landed in the western Negev region. Israel responded by shutting down the crossings in response to rocket attacks on its towns.
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| Rocket heading for Israel from Gaza |
Now, Israel's side of the story is this. Since the truce of June 19th , they had had about 6 months of semi-quiet, but there had been 38 rockets and mortar shells fall into Israel from Gaza up to November 3rd. Even back in July, PM Olmert knew there was
smuggling of arms going on from the Sinai into Gaza. So, on November 4th, "
acting on intelligence that Palestinian militants were poised to infiltrate Israel and kidnap soldiers, Israeli troops cross several hundred yards into Gaza to destroy a tunnel that was to be used for the infiltration. A firefight erupts between Hamas gunmen and Israeli soldiers. One Hamas gunman is killed. Hamas launches mortar shells at Israeli targets, and an Israeli airstrike kills several Hamas members preparing to fire mortars. On the next day, "responding to the previous day's fighting, Hamas launches dozens of rockets and mortar shells into Israeli cities and towns. Israel strikes a rocket launching cell in Gaza. After the previous day's sharp increase in rocket fire, rocket and mortar attacks against Israel dip to an average of a few per day. This frequency continues until mid-December. On the 14th of December "Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal says on Lebanon's Al Quds television that the truce expires after 6 months, and that the group will not be renewing the truce." Israel responds on the 15th with "Israeli official Amos Gilad arguing on Israel's Channel 2 that the truce does not expire."
- November 6-12th
- Given the increase in cross-border fire, the truce agreed to five months ago is starting to flounder Between November 5th and November 12th, 22 rockets and 9 mortars were fired into Israel.
- November 12–19
- In this week 62 rockets and 26 mortars were fired from Gaza into Israel. The results of these attacks were that 16 people were wounded, 13 from shock and 3 from light wounds
- November 21
- A rocket hit the Ashkelon industrial area.
- November 22–23
- Four Qassam rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel over the weekend.
- November 24–25
- Two Qassam rockets landed in Israel.]
- November 26–27
- Four Qassam rockets landed in the western Negev, one damaging a house on a kibbutz
December 3
At least four Qassam rockets and 15 mortar rounds were fired from the Gaza Strip at the western Negev. Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility. One mortar attack damaged an Israeli power cable being used to transfer electricity to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
December 6–7
At least 20 Qassam rockets and mortar shells fired from the Gaza Strip hit the western Negev over the weekend. One Qassam landed near a Sderot school. This city is on the border with Gaza, constantly hit.
December 12
Two rockets launched from the Gaza Strip hit open space in Israel a week before a truce is set to expire. The Qassam rockets launched Friday landed in open areas and caused no damage.
December 16
At least six Qassam rockets and a mortar shell hit Israel hours after Israeli troops killed an Islamic Jihad commander in the West Bank. One of the rockets fired landed in the soccer field of Sderot's Sapir College. Several people were treated for shock.
December 17
A Qassam rocket struck the parking lot of a shopping center in Sderot, injuring three Israelis. At least 18 rockets and 6 mortar shells were fired this day on southern Israel, 48 hours before the truce between Israel and the Hamas expired.
December 18
Hamas declares the end of the 6 Month Truce with Israel. Three rockets are fired at Israel by the Al-Quds Brigades
December 21
At least 50 rockets and mortars struck southern Israel since a cease-fire with Hamas ended on December 19. Rockets landed in Ashkelon's industrial zone, near an elementary school, a youth cultural center in the western Negev and a home in Sderot. A foreign worker was injured. In response, Israeli forces struck at least two rocket launchers in Gaza.
December 22
Three Qassam rockets were fired at Israel on Monday afternoon and evening, while Hamas had mostly stopped launching rockets at Israel for 24 hours at the request of Egypt
December 23
At least five Qassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip struck the western Negev.
December 24
More than 60 Qassam rockets and dozens of mortar shells struck homes, factories and a playground in southern Israel. Two longer ranged Grad-type missiles struck a public area in northern Ashkelon. Homes in Kibbutz Shaar Hanegev and Sdot Negev suffered serious damage from direct hits. A rocket also struck next to a playground in Netivot. One factory in the western Negev was hit twice. Several people in those areas were treated for shock.Two Palestinians were hurt when a rocket that did not clear the security fence at the border landed on a home in a northern Gaza town.
December 26
A dozen rockets and mortar bombs were fired from Gaza into Israel, one accidentally falling short and striking a northern Gaza house and killing two Palestinian sisters, aged five and twelve, while wounding a third.
Israel's Operation Cast Lead will start December 27th to stop all the bombing.
Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_War_%282008%E2%80%9309%29
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=7&x_issue=20&x_article=1581
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2008
http://middleeastprogress.org/2009/01/timeline-of-israel-hamas-2008-ceasefire/
