Hamas Continues Rocket Attacks

It's another day in Gaza, and Hamas continues its assault on Israelis with still more rocket attacks. They hit Ashkelon and other Israeli communities within range of their kassam and Grad rockets.

Where's the international condemnations? Where's the demands that Hamas leaders be hauled before courts to face trials for war crimes? You get nothing but crickets when Hamas attacks, but Israel's actions to defend itself from such terrorists gets international dander up and calls for Israel to be keelhauled.

Instead, we're treated to reports claiming that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire? Seriously? Are you kidding me? Hamas has no intention of adhering to a ceasefire. They want Israel to cease, while Hamas gets to fire. That's as Hamas has done for years on end, and Hamas has briefly halted its attacks only after Israel pounds Hamas leaders for a time.

Israel's political leaders are still engaging in the feckless behaviors that enabled Hamas to fire on Israeli communities without fear of consequences. Foreign Minister Livni says that she'd call for a renewed Gaza operation if the rockets continue hitting Israel. Memo to Livni: they are still hitting Israel. By calling off Operation Cast Lead early, Hamas got to not only declare victory, but Israel failed to deal a crippling blow to Hamas leadership and its weapons caches. The Israeli military hammered Hamas positions for weeks, but Hamas gets to crawl out from behind the skirts of women and the cribs of children to attack again. Israel still hasn't fully regained its deterrence factor against Hamas, because Israel's leadership considers a certain level of violence as acceptable.

Rafah residents were warned that Israel may be preparing to launch air strikes against the area along the border. As I've repeatedly noted, Israel's humanitarian gesture to warn civilians along the border fails miserably because Israel gives Hamas ample warning to either get out of the way of the impending air strikes, or to load up the area with civilians so as to maximize the civilian body count. It is counterproductive.