Pounding Sand

Israel continues to take steps necessary for its own defense. Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorists have not stopped trying to take more hostages. The Israelis have managed to thwart another attempt.

And the Palestinians continue to launch yet more Kassams. No damage or injuries were reported.

Kassam launch sites were again targeted by IDF artillery (aka pounding sand).

Hamas leader Haniyeh says that the PA will not give in to demands. In other words, they're not going to release Shalit unless the Israelis give in to the Palestinians. That's not going to happen, and the Israelis are already showing that they're not going to give in to the demands - and have already physically attacked Haniyeh's office in Gaza City. As expected, the Palestinians complain about the attack on the office. Never mind that they have no problem with killing Israelis, but destroying an empty office? Completely unforgivable.

Israel isn't going to limit its roundup of Hamas terrorists to those in Gaza. They're looking at the West Bank as well. And all the while, Israel is even considering a proposal to provide electricity to Gaza. Carrot and stick.

Others posting regularly on the Gaza Crisis: Meryl Yourish, Carl in Jerusalem, Blue Crab Boulevard, and Ed Morrissey.

UPDATE:
Still others blogging the Gaza crisis: Flopping Aces notes that Hamas got the war that it so cherished. Now, they're whining about the fact that the bullets and rockets are flying in their direction instead of one-way into Israel.

Solomonia notes that Hamas has again declared that it will never stop the violence against Israel. Well, that means Israel will have to stop Hamas for no one else will do it.

Jeff Jacoby wonders whether Israel has lost the Spirit of '76, the year that the world saw Israeli spirit and elan when Israeli commandoes rescued hostages at the Entebbe airport. Do Israelis have it within them to deal with the current crisis? Many aren't so sure.

Egypt is considering breaking off mediation efforts.

The Left (aka Daily Kos) continues to find Palestinian terrorism appealing versus Israel's rights as a sovereign nation to defend itself and its citizens against acts of war.

UPDATE:
Israel continues to eliminate terrorist terrorist warehouses and attack government buildings. The terrorists, again try to attack the Israelis, but are killed, and suicide belts were found:

The Air Force hit a building in Gaza City early Monday. The IDF said that the target was a building used by the al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement. The IDF said that the building was used as a headquarters for planning terror activities. There was no immediate word of casualties.

A warehouse in northern Gaza used to store weaponry including Kassam rockets was also attacked. The warehouse belonged to the al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades.

Just a few hours earlier, three Palestinians were shot dead late Sunday night after they opened fire at troops from the Golani Brigade stationed at the Dahaniyeh airport in southern Gaza. Battalion 13 of the Golani Brigade invaded southern Gaza last Wednesday as part of the operation to retrieve Shalit.

Soldiers found explosives belts on two of the attackers.

Egyptian mediation is proving to be fruitless - but is that surprising considering that Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist? Hamas is threatening Israel's infrastructure, as if this is another new threat.

UPDATE:
Debka (the usual rules apply as to veracity) has an interesting analysis piece today. They are speculating about the situation and how and why Israel did not push forward with the military offensive and instead placed their efforts on an Egyptian mediation effort. Roger L. Simon also noticed.

Technorati: terrorism, fatah, Gilad, Shalit, Olmert, Eliyahu, Ashri, Abbas, Rains, Summer, cavaliers, wrath, PRC, Hamas, Gaza, palestinian, Israel