It was a one-way truce anyway, as Hamas and other jihadist groups continued to lob rockets into Israel all the while. The world never expected or demanded Hamas to act like a real government, while demanding a level of restraint from Israel that would allow virtually no response to the jihadist faux-state in Gaza but inaction.
Under Islamic law, a hudna is never intended to last, and its purpose is to allow the Muslim side to regroup and re-arm until they think they are in a position to succeed when hostilities resume. Hamas has spent its time doing just that, stockpiling all the weapons and explosives it could -- all the more so since the Egyptian revolution.
Israeli intelligence estimates that "Hamas and Islamic Jihad have obtained more than 10,000 rockets and missiles – including a large stockpile of Iranian Fajr-5 rockets that can reach Tel Aviv." Longer-range rockets can be stored farther from the Israeli border, so that "in order to effectively stop rocket fire into Beersheba, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Tel Aviv, the IDF will have to operate throughout the entire Strip." Hamas' propaganda machine will be standing by to peddle its wares to international news outlets, of course.
Eventually, however, Hamas will bite off more than it can chew in the current round of the conflict as well, and plead again to return to the ceasefire to repeat the process, just as it did in March, after the Israeli response when one of Hamas' more advanced rockets struck a school bus.
One question remains: will the Hamas fighters cut and run as badly this time, or fire poorly while paralyzed with fear? "Hamas calls off truce as rocket fire continues from Gaza," from the Jerusalem Post, August 20:
Hamas announced early on Saturday they were no longer committed to a more than two-year de facto truce with Israel since the end of a war in early 2009.
They may also suppose that a renewed conflict may give them the chance to angle for sympathy at the U.N. ahead of the statehood spectacle looming in the coming weeks.
The statement was broadcast over a Hamas radio station in Gaza after Israel pounded the Strip for two days with air strikes in response to rocket salvoes and attacks on Thursday that killed eight people.
"There is no longer any truce with the enemy," the statement said in a move seen as paving the way for Hamas to escalate the violence with Israel.
The IAF launched an airstrike late Friday night against a terrorist cell in the central Gaza Strip after the cell fired a rocket into Israeli territory, the IDF Spokesman's Office said in a statement. A direct hit was identified in the strike, the statement added.
Minutes earlier, the Iron Dome rocket defense system intercepted a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip toward Ashkelon.
Earlier, three rockets exploded in the Eshkol Regional council Friday night over a period of several hours. No injuries or damages were reported.
In the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, an explosion occurred near a local kibbutz Friday evening. Local officials said a Kassam rocket landed in an open area. No injuries or damages were reported.
An hour earlier, two rockets fired from Gaza fell in northern Lachish not far from Kiryat Malachi. No injuries were reported although the explosion sparked a fire, which spread to an empty building. The building was lightly damaged before firefighters put out the fire.
Police have asked members of the public in the affected areas to follow instructions from the home front command. [...]
"If anyone thinks the State of Israel will resign itself to this, they are wrong," Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said in a brief television address about the most deadly attack in Israel since 2008.
That's some truce Hamas were demonstrating there by firing rockets at innocent civilians, preaching the death of Israel, continuing to indoctrinate children to hate and murder Jews and celebrating when they were successful in their terrorist attacks. And all of the above, including their 1988 Charter which has not been repudiated, are motivated by Islamic ideology as contained in the Koran, Hadith and the example of Muhammed. These sick, evil, twisted barbarians must never have a 'state' and must never be afforded any recognition. Too bad this has happened already somewhat. Remain strong Israel, evil is on your doorstep and has been for decades. Remain strong.
Fishing in troubled waters again, they are going to be swamped with woes.
HAMAS, its leadership, allies, and patrons, that is.
Raise your hand if you expected any agreement by Hamas to last. I realize this is the internet, but I really don't have to see you to know you are either not raising your hand or part of the Obama administration (or both). The world is slipping further toward chaos every day (see my latest at http://thenewknighthood.blogspot.com for more on how that) and Israel is really one of the last bastions of sanity on the planet. Just as an aside, I wonder how many people will change their minds about a Palestinian state now. I'm guessing all the people that raised their hands earlier.
Longer-range rockets can be stored farther from the Israeli border, so that "in order to effectively stop rocket fire into Beersheba, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Tel Aviv, the IDF will have to operate throughout the entire Strip." Hamas' propaganda machine will be standing by to peddle its wares to international news outlets, of course.
..............................
Yes, indeed. Stand by for Hamas' hand-wringing over supposed strikes by Israel against civilians—without, of course, mentioning either that they deliberately set up rocket-launching sites among civilian areas, and that they themselves deliberately target Israeli civilians every day.
I am beginning to wonder whether Israel has in fact a legitimate right to exist, or if it may be as Islam and its hate-filled Leftist sponsors claim, a failed experiment.
It is shameful for a nation and its people to be subject to such a debate, and to remain silent as it gathers increasing legitimacy. In the international arena, Israel is stubbornly the first to enjoy the world's revulsion.
Many nations were born in war, but none has ever continued in that vein throughout its 60+ years of existence. Yet Israel quietly endures that humiliation.
No government in history has squated on its haunches while its citizens were openly threatened and gratuitously murdered by its neighbours. And no legitimate government would negotiate with such neighbours with a view to offering them a sovereign state from which that ideologically inspired aggression could escalate.
Never mind Entebbe, the Six-Day War and her many other glorious pursuits, if Israel has lost the will to defend herself against a backdrop of open hostility and calls for her annihilation, then one must fairly question her legitimacy.
Or, of course, we can as good little children sleep soundly at night pretending that all must be well because God will defend her.
There's never been a truce to call off, unless the definition of a 'truce' is to fire hundreds of rockets a year into Israel.
Well then, its time to shut off the electricity, and the gas and water taps, and the Paleonazis must receive no more food and medicines from Israel.
Business as usual
Here's where somone who's read the Sura's can ask, "What's the surprise here?"
Treaties can't - MAY NOT - be honored, unless both parties are Muslim. Interpretively, this means any oath to tell the truth, contracts or oaths of office - or as militry and office holders; "to protect and serve".
Why fool ourselves.
The element facing the Western World is bestial.
"I am beginning to wonder whether Israel has in fact a legitimate right to exist, or if it may be as Islam and its hate-filled Leftist sponsors claim, a failed experiment."
With all due respect, I think it's not really legitimate for non-Israelis to be dictating what Israel should do at the price of the blood of its citizens. It Israel's leadership make a mistake, Israelis will pay the price. One of the comments to an earlier article said that it was the US President, Ronald Reagan, who insisted that Israel recognize the Palestinian Authority as a legitimate government, and establish the Palestinian state as a territory. So, we have to look to ourselves, as well as Israel, when we bring out the criticism.
I would like to see the US in its usual role of running interference for Israel in the international organizations like the UN, who are only too happy to condemn any state with the courage to defend themselves, and making sure that Israel has the arms that it needs. I do not want to see any American soldiers involved in the conflict. That is Israel's part.
Well, if they are going to start a war, give them a war. Let their aggression be well-documented and let every firing position be completely destroyed. No doubt they will fire from hospitals and schools and residential homes, using human shields, but let such "terrorists" finally be made responsible for the deaths of their human shields. Stop taking responsibility for the Islamic mandate that the ummah (Muslim world) is Muhammad's Allah's possession to be used for jihad. Only when they use non-Muslims should we first rescue the hostages. Then, no matter how biased the news reports it the global jihad will realize that they cannot hold the world hostage with their own (ummah).
Mary bless you. Yes I hope Israel gives them a war. A war to end all wars not this smack and retreat thing. Punish Gaza so badly that the world will be in shock and awe of Israel. The world will whine and wring their hands over Israel, but they do anyway and the UN has become a joke and leaning toward the darkness more every year. One last thing, when Amadinajahd comes to NY in two weeks he should be pelted with garbage to show him what Americans think of him and his horrible government.
Wow, we really are a brave bunch. Give 'em a war, blow up their firing positions (but don't forget to document everything for when the summary trial begins), kill their Muslim shields but rescue the non-Muslim shields (which probably means not blowing up their firing positions), and if unsure then refer to JihadWatch comments for further instructions.
Firstly, Israel is no longer the force it was 44 years ago, before the advent of PC and multiculturalism, when smarts was the name of the game and the Arabs would rather run than fight, when the world respected the spunky Jews and still had the courage to roundly criticise the Mahoundian savage.
Now the world has moved on, technology compensates for an incompetent military, the barbarian has educated leaders able to use democratic niceties to their advantage, and all hinges on the ownership of oilfields which the West paid to develop in order to become enslaved...and people are no longer prepared to risk speaking the truth.
Meanwhile, the enemy is alive and well, living around and amongst us and believing in Zionist-trained rats, squirrels, sharks and birds whilst chortling at the ease with which the most advanced civilisation in history can be left confused and in disarray by the most backward.
Something to confound future generations.
It will never cease to amaze me, as to how many people have no idea as to how many rockets are fired into Israel. The news always projects all Israeli aggression as unprovoked, and unwarranted attacks on it's quiet, peaceful mooselip neighbors. I truly hope that this event will cause people of the West to open their eyes to the threat of islame.