It is now being reported that what was fired from Gaza on Israel around 6:30 this evening was a rocket and not a mortar.
There have been mixed reports on the precise nature of the projectile fired, with Channel 10 saying
the attack was a mortar shell as opposed to a rocket; likewise, IDF
spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner labeled it a mortar shell on the
IDF's official Twitter feed. However, nearly all other major Israeli media sources have identified it as a rocket attack.
As is usually the case outside of an official operation, Hamas is claiming that it did not do it.
The Hamas terrorist organization claimed Tuesday night that it had
nothing to do with the rocket attack, saying it remains committed to the
ceasefire. Hamas breached numerous ceasefires during Operation
Protective Edge, as well as over the course of recent years.
"The Palestinian factions are committed to the truce," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said. "We want it to continue."
He questioned whether the attack as reported by Israel had in fact
taken place. "There is no evidence that there was mortar fire from the
Gaza Strip," he said.
Yeah, right....
Politicians on the right say Israel must respond in order to avoid a deterioration in the situation.
MK Danny Danon (Likud) spoke out after the attack, saying "we must
not compromise with terror, we should have subdued Hamas during
Operation Protective Edge because terror doesn't change its face."
"Now we must respond with strength in response to the fire for the
sake of deterrence and for the sake of the faith residents of the south
gave to the leadership which said there will be quiet for a long time,"
stated Danon.
The former deputy defense minister, who has been critical of
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over his management of the operation,
added "only 21 days have past and we're returning to the trickle of
terror from the Gaza Belt. Self-restraint now signals acceptance of the
situation."
The attack came hours after Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon predicted that Hamas would not renew its terror attacks on Israel on September 25 if an agreement - which appears unlikely - is not in place. Hmmm.
In the meantime, Yaalon is being slammed by MK's from the Jewish Home party for dismissing an IDF officer - alleged to be former IDF chief rabbi Avichai Ronsky - for leaking information to Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett.
"Hamas fired a multi-rocket salvo in honor of the agreement to reconstruct Gaza.
But the defense minister is busy hazing (former IDF Chief) Rabbi
(Avichai) Ronski and slandering Minister Bennett," wrote [Jewish Home party MK Orit] Struk, noting a
dispute over information Bennett reportedly used to attack top IDF
brass in Security Cabinet meetings.
While Ronski was identified in reports as being the suspected source of the leaks who was later dismissed, he told Arutz Sheva on
Tuesday that he did not pass any materials to Bennett, has not heard
anything of the dismissal - and indeed still is scheduled to perform
reserve duty next month.
Not responding to this rocket fire from Gaza would be a terrible mistake and would invite a creeping escalation of the rocket fire from Gaza - as has happened after the end of every other operation. Will the government authorize the IDF to respond? I would guess that we will know the answer to that question before the sun is up in Israel on Wednesday morning - about seven hours from now.
Just received an email from someone in Israel telling me that Channel 1 television has confirmed that terrorists have shot a mortar round from Gaza at Israel. That's the first breach of the cease fire since it went into effect a few weeks ago.
A Palestinian shell fired from Gaza landed in Israeli territory, near
the southern border on Tuesday evening. There were no injuries or
damages in the attack, which occurred in the region between Eshkol and
Sdot Negev.
It was the first mortar or rocket attack from the
Gaza Strip since August 26, when a truce went into effect between Hamas
and Israel after 50 days of conflict.
Here's hoping we retaliate harshly. Otherwise, we will creep back to the situation we were in before Operation Protective Edge.
Video: Erez crossing point operating under mortar fire during Operation Protective Edge
At the height of the conflict, Ynet video reporter Assaf Kamar went down
to the Erez crossing between Israel and Gaza, to watch as sick and
wounded Palestinians were transferred for treatment - while Hamas fired
mortars at them.
A new revelation suggests that the tragic murder of four-year-old Daniel Tragerman hy''d, who was killed by terrorist mortar fire last Friday in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, may have been completely avoidable - if only the IDF was given a free hand against Hamas terrorists.
Israeli TV's Channel 10 on Monday reported that residents of Kibbutz Nahal Oz have said five mortar barrels have been aimed directly at their community by Gaza terrorists since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge on July 8.
The residents claim the IDF told them that three of the barrels are embedded adjacent to schools where displaced Gaza residents are taking shelter, and therefore the IDF did not strike them to eliminate the threat.
They add that the IDF said the two other barrels are located adjacent to the houses of residents that the IDF was unable to contact during the course of the 50 day operation so as to ask them to leave and avoid harming them. As a result, the IDF likewise decided not to strike.
Appraising the effect of such decisions not to strike, the commander of the IAF special reconnaissance Flying Camel Squadron said recently that aborting airstrikes due to Hamas's tactics of embedding among civilians "sabotages" the operation.
Tragerman's parents said they had less than three seconds to take cover, and that their young son did not have time to avoid the mortar shrapnel. They added that they, like many residents in the Gaza Belt, will not be returning to Nahal Oz at the end of the seven-day mourning period.
The IDF doesn't set that kind of policy. The government does. Think about that over Shabbat.
Friday's murder of Daniel Tragerman HY"D (May God Avenge his blood) of Kibbutz Nachal Oz was a watershed event for the Jewish communities of the Gaza envelope. According to Haaretz some 70% of their residents have now fled to safer places.
In contrast to policies in place from the start of Operation Protective Edge
until now, Friday’s fatal attack set the Defense Ministry’s National
Authority for Emergency Management looking for solutions for families
wishing to evacuate the area.
Over
the last three days, some 400 families have requested assistance in
finding arrangements far away from the border. In contrast to earlier
stages of the fighting, such families no longer have to depend on
non-governmental agencies or private donations. The state is now
committed to financing their stay away from areas at risk.
All
sides are careful to note that this does not constitute an evacuation.
“This isn’t 1948,” clarified an employee at one local authority. “Don’t
label it an evacuation. These are arrangements for living away from
home,” said another employee. “We’re not evacuating any community.”
However, semantics cannot hide the fact that most residents living in high-risk areas chose to leave their homes again.
“We
were told not to call it an evacuation, only a breather, but we should
call a spade a spade. We left the kibbutz since it’s impossible to
remain there,” says Yael Stadin, community head at Kibbutz Ein
Hashlosha. Yesterday, with the assistance of the Authority for Emergency
Management and the Eshkol Regional Council, most kibbutz members left,
moving into a youth hostel in Jerusalem. One family, a mother and two
adult daughters, decided at the last minute to stay. A few hours later, a
mortar shell landed near their house and one of the daughters suffered
slight head injuries.
The
change in policy came after pressure from residents, communities and
local authorities that had to fend for themselves for over a month and a
half. The defense establishment emphasized that as far as the Home
Front Command is concerned, there is no change in guidelines, and
families have not been instructed to leave their homes. However, anyone
wishing to do so gets assistance.
The problem is apparently limited to communities that are close enough to be within mortar range. Iron Dome doesn't catch mortars and there are no warning sirens.
An estimated 30 percent of families remain in the Gazan border
communities. In more distant communities, outside the range of mortars,
some 80 percent of residents remain.
...
The death of Daniel Tragerman caused many people to make rapid plans for leaving their homes.
The
events of the last few days have drawn a clear distinction between
communities lying within mortar range – up to two kilometers from the
border – and all other settlements in the western Negev. In the absence
of a technological solution such as Iron Dome, the relatively simple
mortar has become Hamas’ most lethal weapon against civilians. Residents
living within two kilometers of the border find themselves facing a
difficult choice, of either remaining at home in a dangerous environment
or uprooting themselves for an unknown duration.
But if Jewish communities are abandoned, Hamas will step into the vacuum, as they did when the Jewish communities of Gaza were expelled (the government doesn't like me using that word, but that's the reality) nine years ago.
There has been a lot of talk recently about Gaza developing into a 'war of attrition.' There was a war of attrition along Israel's border with Egypt 45 years ago. That war - which lasted from 1968-69 - saw hundreds of casualties. But it was conducted along the Suez Canal. There were few civilians involved.
Given this situation, I don't understand why we're even discussing a cease fire. Hamas must be destroyed.
In the early afternoon a
mortar wounded three Israeli Arabs who work as taxi drivers tasked with
taking a group of Gazans from the crossing into Israel for medical
care. Roughly an hour later, the IAF hit the site from where the mortar
was launched.
The attack took place
at the Erez Crossing in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council while a goup
of ill Palestinians was making the crossing. Soldiers evacuated the
wounded as mortars continued to fall.
One of the Palestinian attemtping to make the crossing spoke to Ynet
and said "the war does what it wants with us. I hope both sides put an
end to it. There is too much fear in Gaza and in Israel. All we wanted
was to get medical care."
...
Abed Ra'asab, from
East Jerusalm, arrived at the crossing to transfer a young relative of
his suffering cancer to a hospital in Jeruslam and witnessed the scene.
When he arrived at the Palestinian side of the crossing the attack
began. "It was so close, but thank God I was close to a shelter, those
wounded were farther away. The (IDF) paramedics quickly took care of the
wounded.
The mortar hit one of the few active crossings connecting Israel to
Gaza, specifically the one intended for human passage. A car belonging
to one of the Israeli-Arabs sustained damage. A young Palestinian girl
who was at the crossing suffered anxiety and she was seen shaking from
fear.
Still waiting to hear any international condemnation of Hamas (which has taken responsibility) for firing on wounded 'Palestinians.' I don't expect to hear any.
Breaking: Erez crossing point under attack, multiple casualties UPDATED x9
This will become a liveblog once I have more details.
Mortar attack in vicinity of Erez border crossing results in multiple injuries
— Daniel Nisman (@DannyNis) August 24, 2014
UPDATE 1:31 PM
Israel Radio reports four injured, two in serious condition.
UPDATE 1:32 PM
Israel Radio: Shooting continues. Two serious, one moderately wounded and one treated at scene. Still evacuating wounded. (Then said three wounded, two seriously and one treated at scene).
UPDATE 1:35 PM
With each mortar attack that causes casualties, more pressure on govt to order ground operation- particularly after recent mass evacuations
— Daniel Nisman (@DannyNis) August 24, 2014
1:29 P.M. Three people were wounded by mortar shells in
southern Israel, and not five as was previously reported. of them, two
suffered serious wounds and one is moderately injured. Firefighters and
emergency services are attempting to evacuate the wounded while still
under fire. (Gili Cohen)
UPDATE 1:49 PM
For those who don't get the significance of an attack on Erez....
There's only one crossing through which people can pass between Israel and Gaza, and Hamas just attacked it with mortars
— Judge Dan (@JudgeDan48) August 24, 2014
UPDATE 2:00 PM
Israel Radio now reporting four wounded again. Listing three as moderately-to-seriously wounded. Fourth treated on site. Eleven rockets and mortars shot at Erez in the last 24 hours!
Children's ward of Barzilay Hospital in Ashkelon has been turned into a bomb shelter.
UPDATE 2:12 PM
The crossing is now officially closed.
Today's mortar attack at Erez, which resulted in several civilian injuries, has forced the closure of the crossing. #Gaza
— Daniel Nisman (@DannyNis) August 24, 2014
UPDATE 2:47 PM
Once again they hit their own.
#Erez crossing casualties were drivers, two from Beduin town Rahat, one from east Jerusalem #Israel#Gaza
— Jonah Mandel (@mandeljonah) August 24, 2014
UPDATE 2:57 PM
Got 'em.
IDF strikes Gaza launcher used to fire mortars at Erez RT @gilicohen10
— Aliyana Traison (@aliyanat) August 24, 2014
Four-year old Daniel Tragerman HY"D (May God Avenge his blood) will be buried on Sunday at the Hevel Shalom cemetery in the Eshkol Region. Daniel was killed on Friday when a car parked outside his home in Kibutz Nachal Oz was hit by a rocket shot by Hamas terrorists. Daniel did not have enough time to escape the shrapnel.
"Daniel was a smart, kind, sensitive child," Daniel's mother Gila
stated Friday. "We wanted to see him growing up with his brothers and
fulfilling his potential."
Gila also described her own version of Friday's mortar shell strike.
"After a mortar shell exploded near kibbutz buildings earlier
[Friday], we were preparing to travel to my parents in Kiryat Ono," she
recounted. "The bags were prepared in advance. I just went outside for a
moment and then we heard the 'code red' siren."
The community is in shock.
"This is a sad day, the saddest one in the area in 14 years," Haim
Yalin, head of the Eshkol Regional Council, stated Saturday. "This is
the nightmare of every resident and every family."
"A 4-year-old boy was killed, what else can you say?" he added. "You
have to embrace your family and be united on such a sad and difficult
day."
The IDF has identified the location from which the terrorists fired the mortar that killed 4-year old Daniel.
Early Saturday, the IDF clarified the circumstances of Daniel's
death, saying Hamas terrorists from its "military wing," the Al-Qassam
Brigades, had fired the deadly mortar shell from a site "adjacent to the Jafar Ali Ibn Taleb school in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City."
An army statement early Saturday said the facility served as a "shelter maintained by Hamas authority", correcting an earlier statement in which it had stated it was an UNRWA-operated facility.
Of course, since Daniel was a Jew, no one outside of Israel is likely to care. But look at the picture above. It's the picture of a terror victim. If that doesn't make you want to cry, then you have lost all feeling for what is good in this world.
Breaking: 4-year old boy killed by mortar in southern Israel
A 4-year old boy was killed a few moments ago when the car in which he was riding in southern Israel was hit by a mortar shell.
Medical officials in southern Israel announced the death of a four-year-old Israeli boy who suffered serious injuries when a mortar launched from the northern Gaza Strip directly slammed into a car before sundown on Friday.
According to Channel 10, Magen David Adom rescue services rushed the boy to hospital, listing him in grave condition. A short time later, the boy was pronounced dead.
Rocket sirens were activated in Tel Aviv just before sundown on Friday as Palestinians in Gaza launched at least three projectiles at central Israel.
Witnesses reported hearing at least three explosions overhead. No word yet on whether any injuries or damage resulted from the incident.
Sirens were also heard in the adjacent suburbs of Tel Aviv, including Ramat Gan, Holon, Bat Yam, and Givatayim.
'Several' people killed and injured in mortar attack on southern Israel - UPDATED X3
There goes the 'cease fire.'
'Several' people (the initial report said three but they removed the number) have been killed and several more injured in a mortar attack by 'Palestinians' on the Eshkol regional council in southern Israel.
Ten people in total suffered from the attack. Emergency teams evacuated
at lease nine people to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba.
Four of those injured were airlifted to the hospital.
The projectile fired from the Gaza Strip landed among a crowd of people.
None of those killed or hurt in the projectile attack were Eshkol residents, said a spokeswoman for the regional council.
Shortly after the mortar shell attack, the Code Red siren sounded in the area.
The head of the Eshkol Regional Council Haim Yellin urged civilians against visiting soldiers in the area.
This does not sound good.... Sounds like it was a bunch of people bringing packages to soldiers.... Time to start praying again.
They just fell 'harmlessly,' right? So would you want to live like this?
Gaza terrorists fired two mortar shells at the southern Negev early
on Sunday afternoon. The shells exploded in the Eshkol region, but did
not cause injury.
The military has advised agricultural workers in the area to seek shelter.
Last week terrorists from Hamas-controlled Gaza fired a mortar shell that hit the Eshkol region. Less than a week earlier, a projectile fired from Gaza hit southern Israel.
Recently, Hamas’ “military wing” has admitted to being behind an attempted attack involving a “terror tunnel” leading from Gaza to an Israeli kibbutz. The group admitted that the tunnel was to be used to kidnap Israeli soldiers.
Remember that the 'Eshkol region' is not over the 'green line'; it's in territory that has been part of the State of Israel since the State declared its independence in 1948 (and for much longer).
So would you want to live like this? I think not. I think it would crimp your style. I know it would crimp mine.
What would you want your government to do about it?
Awesome video: IDF Captain tells the truth about Gaza on al-Jazeera Arabic
As a lot of you may recall, there was a lot of mortar and rocket fire against Israel from Gaza last week. Israel responded at the end of the week by hitting Hamas installations throughout Gaza, which, as usual, were located in civilian areas with the predictable result of a limited number of civilian casualties. The 'Palestinians' are furious that what they gave they were given back.
Here's IDF Captain Avichai Adraee of the IDF spokesman's office speaking about Israel's retaliation in Gaza on al-Jazeera Arabic. It's in Arabic with both Hebrew and English (push the cc button if necessary) subtitles. Adraee is like a younger version of Mordechai Kedar whom I'm sure many of you recall from this video on al-Jazeera Arabic. Adraee is superb.
Let's go to the videotape.
UPDATE 11:48 AM
Sorry - Shy Guy (in the comments) is right. The video is from October 2009.
'Palestinians' in Gaza fired 50 mortars into southern Israel on Saturday morning. Two Israelis were hurt. One mortar landed next to a Kindergarten, which was closed because it is Saturday. According to Israel Radio, Hamas has taken responsibility for about half the mortar fire, the first time it has done so since Operation Cast Lead in January 2009.
The IDF responded to the barrage of mortars with tank shells and helicopter attacks. Six Palestinians were reportedly injured in the strikes.
Following the attacks, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman instructed diplomats in New York to lodge a complaint with the United Nations over the mortar barrage.
One building sustained extensive damage in the Eshkol Regional Council although a majority of the projectiles landed in open areas, local officials reported.
The regional council is inhabited predominantly by farmers, and has been the target of Palestinian shelling for several years.
Eyal Brandeis, a kibbutz secretary in the Eshkol Regional Council, and the head of a local emergency response team, told The Jerusalem Post that the injured were a married couple who had been attempting to seek cover in a safe zone - a room reinforced with concrete to protect from projectiles.
"It happened just as they entered the room. The couple were responding to instructions we sent out on cell phone text messages calling on all residents to seek shelter. They ran to the room, and shrapnel went through the window just before they could close it," Brandeis said.
The man suffered shrapnel injuries to his back, while the woman was injured in her hand, Brandeis added. The couple received medical attention on the spot before being evacuated by Magen David Adom paramedics to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva for further treatment.
What a way to spend your honeymoon....
How long do you think that the US (under any President other than Obama) would put up with being shelled from Mexico?
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
