Israel Matzav: The human shields are well-fed

Thursday, July 10, 2014

The human shields are well-fed

With all that's going on, Israel is continuing to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing point. That means that no human shields will go hungry.

Despite the ongoing rocket fire by Gaza terrorists, Israel has not halted the entry of trucks into Gaza – and on Thursday, some 200 trucks carrying food and “basic supplies” entered Gaza. The government said that the trucks were allowed to pass through for “humanitarian purposes,” and were inspected and found not to be carrying any items or equipment that could be used to attack Israel.

The trucks are said to be carrying a greater than normal supply of food, officials said. According to sources, the IDF and Defense Ministry officials urged the government's Coordinator of Government Activities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, Yoav Mordechai, to allow an increased amount of supplies into Gaza, so that residents would have enough to eat in case the IDF begins a ground assault against Hamas.

The trucks enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, which is often targeted by Gaza terrorists for missile attacks. The workers at the crossing are all Israeli, and have been given special safety instructions by the Home Front Command, officials said. It should be noted that one of the terror tunnels destroyed by the IDF several days ago was located right next to the Crossing.

With that, officials said, the IDF has pulled two “gestures” granted after the conclusion of Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012. Palestinian Arab farmers have been banned from tending to their fields which abut the security fence around Gaza, and cannot approach within more than a few hundred meters of the fence. In addition, fishing boats have been restricted to within three kilometers of the Gaza coast.

The IDF has also allowed 240 Palestinians with foreign citizenship to leave Gaza, at the request of their governments. Among them are citizens of the US, Sweden, Greece, Romania, and Serbia. They will be allowed to leave the country, or to travel to Palestinian Authority-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria.

It goes without saying that the IDF has not taken steps to cut off Gaza's electricity, which is supplied by Israel, as numerous ministers and MKs have demanded. IDF officials said that among the reasons for allowing the shipments to continue and the power to flow was to prevent Hamas from painting a picture of a “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza, in which people have no food, water, or power.

According to former National Security Adviser Yaacov Amidror, the only way to stop the rocket fire is to retake Gaza.

"We’ve never had a crushing blow that hurt the other side’s the ability to launch missiles," Amidror told Channel 10 News, adding that he believes the only way to achieve complete quiet is to "retake Gaza and be there for six months to a year to clean it out."

Amidror, who in the past headed the Research Department of Israeli military intelligence, explained that the extent of the IDF’s operation in Gaza depends on “how much we are willing to pay for quiet in the south.”

He estimated that an operation retaking Gaza would require three to 13 days. “Then we would have to remain there between six months and a year, in order to clean up Gaza. Only then will we be in a situation where they won’t fire at Israel,” said Amidror.

He stressed that the price of such a military operation would be dozens of casualties, but added, "I think eventually there will be no choice. If we cannot force Hamas to ask for a ceasefire by attacking from the air, we may have to go into Gaza.”

Well, yeah, but it's not like they weren't shooting at all before we left Gaza either, although then most of the shooting was focused on the Jews who lived in Gaza. I'm not sure what he means by 'cleaning it up' but it's sure going to require a lot more than cleaning the streets.

So we have two choices: Rule Gaza or suffer from rocket fire from Gaza. Kahane was right. The only way to have real peace and quiet here is to pay the Arabs to leave. Maybe we need to admit that reality too.

Labels: Gaza electricity supply, Gaza expulsion, humanitarian aid, Kerem Shalom crossing point, Operation Protective Edge, Rabbi Meir Kahane, Yaakov Amidror