This escalation continues the trend of increasing rocket launches recorded last month. It also reflects the feverish pace at which Hamas and other jihad groups in Gaza have been stockpiling weapons, taking advantage of the relative calm as Islamic law intends it: an opportunity for the jihadists to regroup and re-arm for the next round. Accordingly, they have "obtained more than 10,000 rockets and missiles – including a large stockpile of Iranian Fajr-5 rockets that can reach Tel Aviv," and Hamas has smuggled in three times more explosives since the Egyptian revolution than it brought in during all of 2010.
The use of Grad rockets is the tip of the iceberg, as longer-range rockets allow storage of the weapons farther back from the border, and increase the odds that Israeli action will involve more of the Gaza Strip the next time Hamas bites off more than it can chew in an attack on Israel. And the jihadists will again claim victim status and plead for yet another ceasefire.
"Palestinian Grad rocket explodes near Kiryat Gat," by Yaakov Lappin for the Jerusalem Post, August 4:
A long-range Grad rocket fired from Gaza landed in open territory in Lachish, near Kiryat Gat.
A police bomb squad is in the area and is searching for the location of the rocket.
The attack represents an escalation in the firing of longer-range rockets. The last time such rockets were fired at Israel was in March, when a number of projectiles landed in the Ashdod and Lachish area, and schools in the area were closed.
Also Wednesday night, a Grad rocket fell near Ashkelon. Police said the rocket landed within Ashkelon city boundaries and damaged a road. A police response team was on the scene.
Air raid sirens were heard in several towns and villages in the south, including the Yoav Regional ouncil, the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, and the Ashkelon coast Regional Council.
Residents in areas in which sirens were heard rushed into safe areas and shelters to take cover.
On Monday, a woman from a Beduin village was moderately injured by shrapnel from a Palestinian rocket fired at southern Israel from Gaza.
That rocket landed between in open territory in the Ashkelon Coast.
A police response team drove out to the scene of the attack to recover and analyze the projectile. Hours later, the Air Force bombed a number of targets in Gaza in response.
Consider this: in a month or so the Palestinian Authority will be going to the U.N. to claim they are a real state.
It is a given that most countries in the world will vote in their favour, however, some the more important nations are holding out against recognition of a Palestinian State (notably the USA and some members of te EU).
Considering the upswing in anti-Israel hatred after Israel's Cast-Lead counter offensive incursion into Gaza in 2008, the Palestinians are in a win-win situation. If they can provoke an Israeli counter-attack before September they can win over even the hold-outs to their side in the vote, and the Durban III conference will be biggest anti-Semitic Hate-Fest the world has seen since the Nurenberg Rallies and Kristalnacht.
On the other hand, if Israel restrains itself until after the UN vote and after Durban III the Hamas get to fire lots of rockets and eventually hit a significant target with impunity. And at the same time to claim Israel is weak.
Either way, they are ramping up and we can expect more and bigger rockets out of Gaza in next few weeks (and probably more incidents along the Lebanese border too, but that another topic).
Paging Israeli jihadwatch contributor, 'Doom and Gloom'.
You out there still? Hangin' in there?
We haven't forgotten you.
Always the same - Israel is brow-beaten by the West into a cease-fire - whilst weapon stocks are built up by Iran, etc., then off we all go again! Thank God for Israel - the only Nation with the courage to stand up to the evil intentions of islam. Time to get wise Westies! The 'brotherhood' is coming to a country and town near you - soon - so get in there and support Israel in its lone struggles for survival before it's too late - for ALL of us!
Dear Jerusalem Post.
It's high time you called things by their right names. Now, I don't know what you're saying in the Hebrew version, but the English version could do with greater clarity.
A case in point.
You said: "On Monday, a woman from a Beduin village was moderately injured by shrapnel from a Palestinian rocket fired at southern Israel from Gaza."
Here's what you should have written.
"On Monday a woman from a Beduin Arab Muslim village was moderately injured by shrapnel from a rocket fired at southern Israel by Gazan Arab Muslims".
See?
Interesting how much of a difference it makes.
I'm inclined to endorse this response on the JP by Ltc Howard
"Israel and many of its supporters frustrate me. Israel threatens too much and threatens too loudly. Then its actions are far less than its threats, losing credibility. I urge Israel and its supporters to speak softly but, and I emphasize “but”, not only carry a big stick but use the big stick. The peacock spreads its feathers to look frightening. However, all of us know that this is a pose and don't take it seriously.
When the 1st rockets from Gaza struck Israel my Egyptian aide said: “for the 1st rocket you destroy several Hamas buildings at night. For the 2nd rocket you destroy several of the headquarters by day inflicting casualties. If there is a 3rd rocket you target several of their leaders. You announce that your ratio of return fire will be 5 to 1 for the next rocket and 10 to 1 for the rocket after that. Then you live up to your threats."
I'd like to know what's wrong with it.
What's wrong with it is that his Egyptian friend is thinking like a Muslim and does not consider the consequences. Unlike Muslim states that can, and do, respond like that with absolute impunity (see Syria, see Sudan, see Somalia) Israel has to take its unique position into account, and Jews being Jews it has to take the knock-on effect of anti-Semitism in other countries into account.
There is only one Israel, and it's under constant physical, diplomatic and economic attack. It is a tiny country under constant evil eye of anti-Semite constantly looking for chinks in its armour - like hackers probing for unprotected ports - they can exploit. Furthermore as the Egyptian knows Islamic anti-Semitism thrives on any execuse for "paying back" any uppity dhimmis who step out of line. Israel tries not to give them the excuse to escalate, it's a fine balancing act designed to preserve the stalemate rather than tipping the apple cart into a full-scale war. Another of which Israel does not not need.
Perhaps the time is not yet when Israel can risk a major war, esp. with Muslim friendly Obama, but I wonder how much risk of war there really would be with the measured (but accelerating) military response suggested. The Muslim world in general and the Palestinians of Gaza in particular are in much less condition for a war - they are in wretched condition.
And I suspect that the "excuse to escalate" is already much there: Muslims, per basic Islam, are not suppose to indefinitely tolerate a strong & healthy Jewish state in their midst on once Islamic land, decade after decade, esp. while their population greatly increases and their median age for males is military and they evidently love to fight. I don't see the "stalemate" continuing with all the Israeli caution, yet I can't really second guess the IDF sitting far outside of Israel.
There is an ongoing global battle of wills in which the civilised world lies a distant second to Islam.
Let's face it, Israel will anyway be blamed for every action or inaction. This is why she should declare once and for all that when a rocket is launched in her direction from Gaza the IDF will without further notice delete the entire block from which it was fired.
Then she should do so, once, twice, and as many more times as she needs to until they stop.