Palestinian Rrockets Still Firing As Israeli Offensive Intensifies

[tekisui]

Source: AP

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli reserves have been moving into Gaza today, and that’s being taken as a sign Israel is ready to escalate its campaign against Hamas militants.

Meanwhile, international aid agencies say they have resumed relief operations but are unable to evacuate hospital patients or reach all those in need of help.

Palestinian militants are still managing to launch rockets into southern Israel, despited a tightening Israeli cordon in Gaza.

Israeli warplanes have carried out more than two dozen airstrikes. The army says targets include squads of Palestinian gunmen, mortar launchers, two vehicles carrying militants and the homes of Hamas leaders.

http://www.wnct.com/nct/news/world/article/palestinian_rockets_still_firing_as_israeli_offensive_intensifies/28641/

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Why can't Israel stop the rockets? They have had 16 days, all of the Israeli air and ground force to do it. They have moved into Gaza, a tiny strip of land and killed several Hamas leaders. They have bombed the tunnels. Why can't they stop the rockets? We are led to believe it is an easy task to stop them, Hamas could do it today, right? Why can't Israel?

[Vegasaurus]

1. Because Hamas hides among women and children

but you already knew that answer.

[EFerrari]

13. Israeli bombs also hide among women and children so that's no excuse.

[JuniperLea]

40. They've killed plenty of women and children...

Too bad they didn't aim for the rockets while they were doing that... two birds, you know.

[GoesTo11]

2. Why does Hamas want this war to continue?

The rockets aren't doing them good in terms of defense. They just continue to be Israel's casus belli. Why doesn't Hamas just say "Firing rockets at civilians is immoral. We are going to stop voluntarily for the good of civilians on both sides and we don't need to have the Israeli military force us to stop."

Why can't Israel stop the rockets? It's only phase 2 of the operation, so far.

[Vegasaurus]

3. Eventually, the rockets will run out

with no ability to get from Rafah to Gaza City, and with limited smuggling capability, the rockets will eventually stop.

They are down at least half to two thirds in number, I heard.

[tekisui]

4. I read they have about 2 to 3 weeks of rockets rationed to fire.

[Vegasaurus]

5. It will be a long two weeks,

unless Obama steps in next Wed.

But that's over a week more already.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

49. Really depends on how they were staged

In a regular military situation, heavy ordnance like rockets stay in depots away from everyone and get moved up as needed.

Hamas is an irregular force distributed in an urban area. Its not clear how many rockets of each type they had forward deployed.

Little to nothing has been discussed about the tunnels Hamas claimed to have honeycombed Gaza with, just an occasional reference by a Hamas leader or something in the Israeli press. Many could be hidden in tunnels, if they exist as described. The rockets are not overly large and can be launched in a 2m square flat patch.

IIRC early estimates had the rockets tapering off by now but the more recent ones are indeed saying weeks.

[tekisui]

7. We are entering phase three, right now.

We'll see if it brings Israel success. The price that Israel will pay though is very high. They will be stuck with occupying Gaza and will be responsible for the humanitarian crises that follow. Hamas would be wise to halt the rockets and make a truce deal. Of course, I doubt that will happen with Israeli forces in the cities and the borders closed.

It seems to be a war against the clock, now. Will Hamas run out of rockets or will Israel see the risk of continuing too great?

[Vegasaurus]

15. I think it is foolish and risky for Israel

They should have stopped after the air campaign.

No way do they want to occupy that mess again.

[EFerrari]

17. The right wing nutcases in power in Israel have already guaranteed

that Israeli children will be less safe in the future than they were in the past.

[tekisui]

18. That's how I see it.

Temporary security traded for long term worsening.

[EFerrari]

20. And what improved security? None.

These guys are every bit as horrible as Cheney and Rumsfeld. They just have a little more power because Israel is a smaller pond.

[Vegasaurus]

19. Maybe, maybe not

We will see what happens in the future.

Maybe Hamas will actually learn something (I doubt it, but hope springs eternal) and not continue trying to provoke wars they can't win.

But since they don't care about their civilians, they will probably keep on with their terrorism.

[EFerrari]

23. There is no comparison between the occupier and the occupied.

That's just specious.

[Vegasaurus]

25. How so?

Gaza could have been a thriving economy by now.

They were left with all the infrastructure and worldwide support.

They blew it by shooting off ten times the number of rockets that they did when they were occupied.

At some point, people will have to realize that the Palestinians are responsible for their own choices, and their own actions.

And those actions have consequences.

They were not occupied, as of 2005.

Gaza could have bloomed.

Instead it is a cesspool.

Pity.

[EFerrari]

28. Save it for the ignorant. n/t

[AnOhioan]

39. Nice propaganda

"Gaza could have been a thriving economy by now." :Gaza could have bloomed."

Sure they could have...with a land and sea blockade. Who in the hell do you think you are fooling with this obvious spin?

The Palestinians of Gaza have not been given to the chance to prosper, not even close.

[methinks2]

44. simple but true

didn't a similar situation happen in Warsaw?

[madrchsod]

27. they made a truce deal with israel

and the israelis responded by further restrictions on the populace of gaza. the israelis refused to back down and the war began.

[Duckhunter935]

33. and did not abide by it

[damntexdem]

12. It's all they have. Israel has free hands at terrorism. Hamas is limited in what it can perpetrate.

Both lack any concern for the innocent.

[HeraldSquare212]

6. Perhaps that's not their objective.

[Vegasaurus]

8. Clearly it is Hamas's objective to sacrifice just as many innocents as possible

to make their political point, which will never come to fruition anyway.

[HeraldSquare212]

Yes, I can tell by the way Hamas bombs Gaza with F-16s

that they want to kill as many innocents as possible.

[cali]

21. hamas has zero concern for innocents- including their fellow Palestinians

there can hardly be any doubt about that. And as for their inability to kill Israeli civilians, just because they don't have F-16s at their disposal, hardly means that the intent isn't there.

[HeraldSquare212]

24. I don't know that Hamas has zero concerns for innocents including their fellow Palestinians.

They use tactics that put innocents in harms way sometimes, but so does Israel, and any other combatant nation for that matter.

[EFerrari]

26. I guess Israel figured that out before they promoted them.

[cali]

29. whether they figured it out or not

doesn't change a thing. I detest the Israeli gov't and I detest Hamas. Anyone defending Hamas is simply a fool of the first order- same as anyone defending the Israeli gov't.

[EFerrari]

30. Of course it does. It reframes the Israeli right wing bs

entirely.

They're very happy to use this to get their poll numbers up. What is Hamas going to do? Shoot a bottle rocket?

The whole "self defense" argument is bullsh!t. And we should know exactly how powerless we are as we watch children on both sides of that border get their futures ruined by these criminals.

[tekisui]

9. .

:think:

IMO, this is for the election. Show of strength, but no change in the dynamic, ultimately. Time will tell. I will be surprised if Israelis are safer and more secure in a few months.

[Vegasaurus]

10. Hard to know

But Hezbollah has been pretty quiet lately.

I read that they didn't want another war with Israel, so they are keeping their rockets quiet.

They saw what happened the last time they started a war.

Maybe Hamas will also have learned something, but somehow I doubt it.

I think they are actually stupider than Hezbollah.

[HeraldSquare212]

14. The last time 'they started' a war, they ended up with power in the central government.

That's why they don't want a war now - they have power. Perhaps Israel could learn a lesson from that.

[Vegasaurus]

16. Israel sees that Hezbollah responded to power

They may feel that they won the war, but Hezbollah does not want to risk their political standing by putting a thousand Lebanese at risk,

That's wise governing.

Hamas could learn some of that.

[HeraldSquare212]

22. I think Hamas would have to be allowed to govern to learn about governing.

[GoesTo11]

31. In spite of the tough talk, Hamas probably thinks this isn't so great

When this is done, I don't think there'll be too many Gazans thanking them for their bravery in provoking Israel.

[EFerrari]

32. Dream on. Israel just bolstered Hamas for the foreseeable future.

Fatah is making stupid statements and the residents of Gaza see their families dying all around them.

[GoesTo11]

34. Israel hasn't bolstered Hamas, it has bolstered anger at Israel

No doubt, Gazans will be more angry with Israel after this. But they may not be so inclined to trust their fates to Hamas, with all its big-talk about victory being near. Does that help Fatah? Probably not. Might leave an opening for new voices. With the ceasefire proposals that are being discussed - and it seems a good guess that the actual ceasefire terms will come out somewhere in the range of what's being discussed - Hamas will be hard pressed to convince Gazans that this was worth it. Just like Bush is hard pressed to convince the US that the Iraq war is worth it. People can see with their own eyes.

[EFerrari]

35. Bush moved that war. Hamas did not.

Whether they are thugs or not, Israel has handed them this PR victory on a silver platter.

[GoesTo11]

38. So are Gazans looking for quality of life or revenge?

They can easily see that this has hurt their quality of life. Does their "revenge" make up for it? Does the sympathy of the Arab world get them more this time than it has for the rest of the last sixty years? I can't see it. But who knows what they value.

[methinks2]

42. perhaps FREEDOM from oppression

from a foreign gov is what they want. When people are hopeless this is what they do.

[GoesTo11]

43. They had a lot more freedom before kicking out Fatah.

And they do not have freedom now, and they're not going to get it as long as they run around shouting death to Israel. If they will never want anything in the world other than death to Israel, then for practical purposes they're clinically insane and I don't know what Israel can do about them. Maybe the UN can parachute in an army of Arabic speaking psychotherapists.

[methinks2]

45. I see a civilian population

who has not had freedom in generations. America was previously under a foreign rule once, we fought and obtained our freedom. I've been a tourist in Israel, I've looked at teenagers with automatic weapons deciding wether I can come or go. As long as there are military roadblocks, there will be trouble.

[EFerrari]

48. Blaming Gazans for a brutal occupation is despicable.

[EFerrari]

47. What quality of life? Good grief.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

11. It's a no-win situation at this point.

Hamas can claim that Israel is persecuting Palestinians and cite the bombings (or rocketings) of mosques, schools, and hospitals.

Israel can claim Hamas is a terrorist organization par excellence by citing its tendency to hide munitions and combatants with civilians.

Neither side is going to be able to claim a nice, clean victory at the end of the day. At best, their victory will be pyrrhic, whether the losses be in human life or "moral" standing.

[ohio2007]

36. So what is the daily rocket count up to ? Somebody out there must be keeping track

the body count per day crowd should be able to crunch the rocket count per day in their spare time.

[tekisui]

46. The average is 22 a day.

Down significantly from the time that Israel started the invasion. But, up from when Hamas was abiding to the cease-fire.

[scarletwoman]

37. So? Israel calls this a "war" -- do they expect the other side not to fight back?

This was all completely avoidable, but Israel has no desire for peace, it only wants dominance.

sw

[methinks2]

41. because civilian deaths create freedom fighters

good grief, are they so dense they can't see that they're creating more problems? If some jerks from another country were bombing my neighbors ,and the world just watched, and the largest superpower in the world refused to help me. I'd be doing a little asskicking myself.