Gilad Shalit Back Home After More Than Five Years of Hamas Captivity

It's been more than five years since Hamas captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in an infiltration attack that killed two other Israelis. Shalit is now back home with his family. They were reunited at an Israeli airbase in Central Israel after being transferred to Egyptian authorities who then coordinated with Israel in bringing him home. He was held for 1,941 days.



Meanwhile, the Israelis are in the process of releasing 477 Palestinian terrorists. That is the first of two batches of terrorists to be released, with the total number of terrorists Israel is releasing coming to 1,027.

Those terrorists are being given a heroes welcome and Hamas isn't being shy about who they thought won this years' long battle. They did.

And I'd tend to agree.

Israel gave up far more to bring home its soldier than Hamas did. Hamas isn't changing its stated and public position that it seeks Israel's destruction. It isn't giving up its right to attack Israel and seek to kidnap other Israelis to force similar ransom swaps. Hamas gets Israel to release hundreds upon hundreds of terrorists for the price of a solitary Israeli soldier.

For Shalit's family, this was an excruciating saga, but it showed Israel's resolve to make sure that no Israeli would be left behind.

Someone who has a different point of view is Miki Goldwasser. If that last name rings a bell, it's because her Ehud son was one of two Israeli soldiers who was captured by Hizbullah and killed (along with Eldad Regev). His remains were eventually repatriated to Israel in exchange for several terrorists. She thinks that the Palestinians may crow about this lopsided exchange, but that the Palestinians really envy what Israel and Shalit has.

Make no mistake about it. They realize and feel this humiliation. They realize that they are not worth much if they are willing to exchange 1,000 of their own for one Israeli soldier. Do you really think that Gaza residents are not jealous of us, Israelis, for being so united around one soldier? It’s impossible not to envy us. Look at the global reactions – everyone is stunned.

In Israel, the mood of the people tends to fluctuate from one extreme to another. This time around, listen to the voice of reason and do not be deceived by the images from Gaza. The joy there is artificial. With the exception of the celebrating families, I don’t think most other Gaza residents are happy to see the release of thugs and criminals who killed Palestinians and their children mercilessly.

The released prisoners are mostly hooligans who took the liberty to rob and kill even their own people. Do you recall the images of the Gaza wedding where the celebrating family was murdered by a Hamas gang only because it dared to rejoice? I’m certain that Gaza residents are starting to fear what’s to come.

Israel paid a dear price to secure Shalit's release, but Hamas demanded a thousand prisoners in exchange. That lopsided swap cuts both ways. It does show that Hamas cares little for the lives of its own people and it shows how much weight a single Israeli life counts for.

Over the years, Israel has released 13,509 prisoners in exchange for 16 Israelis - that is nearly 800 to 1 ratio. I'm not even sure if that counts the prisoners released in order to secure a video showing proof that Shalit was still alive. In that instance, Israel released Palestinian prisoners just to get a video showing that Shalit alive. It wasn't even a prisoner swap for Shalit himself. Mind you that many of those released were non-violent offenders or those released somewhat earlier than their scheduled release dates, but the principle remains; Israel was more than willing to release large numbers of convicted prisoners to secure the release of its own people.

That's worth pondering, but I doubt the Palestinians will dwell on it as their leadership considers further attacks to capture still more Israelis to demand similar swaps. The only numbers they see are that if they can capture a single Israeli, they can force Israel to release hundreds, or thousands of convicted Palestinians held in Israeli jails on even the most serious of terror charges.

Even those who sought Shalit's release are taken back by the scale of what Israel was required to do to make the swap happen. More than 1,000 terrorists released. That's quite the price to pay.

One Thousand Days

It has been 1,000 days since Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and attacked an Israeli patrol, killing two soldiers and taking Gilad Shalit back into Gaza.

It has been 1,000 days of hearing the same story from Hamas: they demand the release of hundreds of terrorists before considering the release of Shalit.

It has been 1,000 days of watching the Israeli government under Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promise to do all it can to secure Shalit's release and yet come up short when it had the ability to do so during Operation Cast Lead.

Hamas knows it has a winning hand in capturing Israelis for use as pawns in trades to release its terrorists from Israeli prisons. Israel values the life of a single soldier more than Hamas values the lives of hundreds of its terrorists. They've seen Israel make similar deals before - the release of hundreds of Hizbullah in exchange for the remains of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, including the mass murderer Samir Kuntar.

The incoming Israeli government will have to deal with this situation, and I'm not sure that they will do any better, particularly if they continue to work on what is essentially a prisoner swap. Hamas has repeatedly stated its intent to attempt other attacks to capture Israelis for use in still more prisoner swaps. The Israeli military knows this and has trained for that possibility, but nothing can prepare them for a government that chooses not to act.

The Israeli government has failed the Shalit family and given them false hope over the past 1,000 days. It is my belief that Shalit is no longer alive, and that's why the terrorists have refused to not only release Shalit on its own (a humanitarian gesture and one that would expose the terrorists as the bloodthirsty terrorists I have repeatedly shown them to be).

Hamas has refused to engage in humanitarian gestures such as allowing the ICRC access to Shalit or to release Shalit ahead of various Jewish holidays even as Hamas demands Israel release prisoners for Muslim holidays and as humanitarian gestures. Israel has even done so, without getting anything in return except a continuation of the Hamas rocket war on Israel.

Goldwasser and Regev Return To Israel In Coffins

Israeli authorities have given positive identifications to the remains in coffins delivered by the Islamic terrorist group Hizbullah as Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Video of the transfer can be seen here.

It was an incredibly high price to pay for the return of those men.

Israel released five terrorists, including the child murderer Samir Kuntar. Kuntar's being received as a conquering hero, and the government of Lebanon via Hizbullah is pulling out all the stops.

The Palestinians are also celebrating the release of Kuntar, passing out candies. Abbas congratulates his fellow terrorists. The sickening display once again underscores just what these people seek. They want Israel destroyed, and it doesn't matter who stands in their way. Kuntar murdered two children and their father before being captured by Israeli security forces after his terror cell invaded Israel to carry out attacks.

His group's motivation? Egypt and Israel had signed a peace treaty in 1979.

UPDATE:
More than a few media outlets consider this to be a prisoner swap. Sorry, but this is nothing more than terrorists for coffins. That goes for MSNBC and New York Times, among others.

The terrorists were convicted of murdering Israelis, including children. Hizbullah captured Goldwasser and Regev to secure a prisoner release - and they got exactly what they hoped out of the deal. They got terrorists released from Israeli prisons, and will receive them as conquering heroes.

UPDATE:
The Israeli Consulate in New York sent out the following:

July 16th, 2008
Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev Returned to Israel in Today's Prisoner Exchange


The bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were returned to Israel on Wednesday, 16 July 2008 along with additional recovered remains of soldiers who fell during the Second Lebanon War. In exchange, Israel returned Samir Kuntar and four other Lebanese terrorists, as well as the bodies of dozens of infiltrators and terrorists to Lebanon .

Israel has a duty, as a nation and as a people, to protect those who risk their lives to defend its citizens. Every Israeli soldier knows that his country will do its utmost to retrieve him should he fall into enemy hands. This is an expression of Israel 's deep reverence for human life and of its respect for the fallen. This principle stems from Israel 's sense of morality as well as from Jewish ethics and is a demonstration of Israel 's moral and physical strength.

It is morally reprehensible that Samir Kuntar, a vile child-killer, is now being hailed as a hero in Lebanon . As this YouTube video makes clear, his crimes are truly reprehensible and are condemned by every decent society. Hizbullah, just like any other society, can be judged by whom it chooses to idolize and to hold up as an example for its youth. Yet as an extremist Islamist organization, it chooses to worship death and destruction while clinging to its goal of destroying Israel .

This exchange to return IDF soldiers does not legitimize Hizbullah. Israel 's decision to return its soldiers should not be interpreted as indicating any change in Israel 's policy towards this Iranian-sponsored terrorist organization. The international community must continue to recognize the danger posed by Hizbullah and its extremist cohorts to the stability of the Middle East and should redouble its support of the pragmatic elements in the region, who seek to make peace through dialogue and compromise.

Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev will be laid to rest tomorrow, 17 July 2008, in Israeli military cemeteries.

There are some kernels of truth in this, namely that one can judge Hizbullah by who it seeks to elevate as heroes. They are terrorists, and honor those who murder Israelis.

Still, to claim that the return of IDF soldiers doesn't legitimize Hizbullah is the height of folly. Of course it does. It also lays the groundwork for Hizbullah to undertake further infiltration operations to capture Israelis so that they too can be used as pawns in terrorist releases from Israeli jails.

If it was so morally reprehensible to release Samir Kuntar, why did Peres issue a pardon? That wasn't a necessary precondition to his release.

UPDATE:
Besides providing the five live terrorists including Kuntar, Israel is returning to sender the remains of 180 Hizbullah. And Hizbullah will honor each with a glorious welcome and party on while Israel grieves.

Hizbullah Crows; Israel Rolls

As my friend Legalbgl notes below, Israel has capitulated and will be releasing the terrorist child murderer Samir Kuntar in exchange for the remains of Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. It is a serious mistake, and was the reason that those soldiers were captured by Hizbullah in the first place.

Their capture was meant to pressure Israel into releasing terrorists held by Israel. Hamas still holds out hope that a similar deal will result in more Palestinian terrorists released by Israel in exchange for Gilad Shalit.

The Israeli government approved the Hizbullah prisoner swap, and Hizbullah crows loudly that they won.

They did.

And in the following months, the UN did nothing as Hizbullah regrouped, rearmed, and essentially took over the Lebanese government with veto power.

Now, they will celebrate the release of terrorists from Israeli prisons.

UPDATE:
I urge you to read the following, because it highlights what I've been saying here for some time now.

The famous example of Entebbe—when Israeli commandos raided a Ugandan airport 32 years ago and liberated dozens of hostages in one of the most heroic forays of the Israel Defense Forces—was the exception, not the rule. The truth is that in most cases, Israel will pay any price to get its soldiers back.

And that is a weakness exploited time and time again by Israel's enemies.

UPDATE:
Israeli President Shimon Peres pardoned Kuntar. Why? Since when has these prisoner swaps included pardons for past crimes against Israelis? They don't.

Israel Cabinet Ratifies Deal for Return of Abducted Soldiers

I just received the following Press Release from The Israel Project, and I must say how disappointed I am in the Israeli government.

The Israeli Cabinet today (July 15) authorized the release of convicted murderer Samir Kuntar in exchange for Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, two Israelis abducted by Iran-backed Hezbollah in July 2006 as they patrolled Israel’s side of the border with Lebanon. Four members of Hezbollah, captured during the ensuing war, are also scheduled for release in the prisoner exchange agreement. [1]

Israel is also expected to release the remains of several Palestinian and Lebanese terrorists who carried out some of the most brutal attacks of the conflict. These include the remains of terrorists who carried out the Ma’alot massacre of 1974, in which members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine murdered 22 Israeli high-school students in the city of Ma’alot in northern Israel.[2]

The bodies of the terrorists who carried out the Coastal Road Massacre in 1978 are also scheduled for return to Lebanon tomorrow, including the remains of Dalal Mughrabi, the leader of the attack. In this terrorist assault, members of Fatah hijacked a bus on Israel’s coastal road and killed 35 civilians, including 13 children. This attack led directly to Israel’s operation in southern Lebanon, Operation Litani, aimed at destroying the Palestinian terrorist infrastructure in that region.[3]

Other bodies which are due to be transferred to Hezbollah include the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists responsible for the attack on Kibbutz Matzuba in 2002, in which six Israeli civilians were murdered. The terrorists had been working in conjunction with Hezbollah.[4]

In April 1979, Kuntar, a member of the Palestine Liberation Front – part of the Palestine Liberation Organization - led a terrorist cell that infiltrated Israel and shot to death 28-year-old Danny Haran in front of his 4-year old daughter Einat near their home in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya. Kuntar then killed Einat by smashing her head against a rock with his rifle butt. Two Israeli police officers were also killed during the attack.

Kuntar was caught by Israeli police and was tried and convicted on four counts of murder. He was given four life sentences. [5]

Goldwasser and Regev were abducted by Hezbollah when a cell of the terrorist group in Lebanon infiltrated the internationally recognized border with Israel, fired on two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) jeeps and detonated explosives nearby. At the time, the soldiers were on a routine patrol of the border. [6]

Hezbollah killed eight soldiers in attacks during the day while at the same time firing thousands of rockets and mortar shells into northern Israeli communities. Goldwasser and Regev were reportedly taken into Lebanon and authorities said then that they believed they were alive at the time of their kidnapping. There have been no signs of life from them since then. [7]

The attack sparked a month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah. Since the cessation of hostilities, both sides have been in negotiations via mediators to exchange captives and war dead. Goldwasser at the time was almost 31; Regev was 27. [8]

On June 1, 2008, Israel released Nassim Nasser, a spy convicted of espionage on behalf of Iran-backed Hezbollah. On the same day, Hezbollah released partial remains of five Israeli soldiers killed in the 2006 war with Hezbollah. [9] In total, 20 IDF soldiers were not buried intact. [10]

Kuntar has promised to carry out futher terrorist attacks after his release and Palestinian Authority TV has called him a national hero.

Read the last paragraph again -- Kuntar has promised to carry out further attacks after his release. This cold blooded killer has vowed to kill again, and Israel is RELEASING him. I understand the desire to secure the release of Goldwasser and Regev, who, in violation of international law, have been kidnapped for more than two years by Hezbollah. However, to release a murderer, who has vowed to murder again, is crazy.

These prisoner exchanges are exactly the reason that Goldwasser and Regev were kidnapped for in the first place. Hezbollah knows full well that Israel will concede in these matters to secure the safe release of their citizens. What will it take for Israel to realize that they compromise their own security in doing so?

What will Israel offer up to secure the release of Gilad Shalit? Also being held, against international law, for more than 2 years, this time by Hamas.

Where is the world outrage that three soldiers, have been kidnapped, denied visitation by the Red Cross, have more than likely suffered torture (at least mental, if not physical), denied any form of due process or habeas corpus. This is more than the world holding Israel to a higher standard than any other could ever achieve, this is crickets chirping in the silence for three violations of world law! The world decries the "harsh" treatment of the Gitmo prisoners, yet is out right silent as to three prisoners in the hand of Hezbollah and Hamas. Why is the world not crazy that in order to secure the release of two of these prisoners, a CONVICTED MURDERER IS BEING SET FREE!!! A convicted murderer who was given due process, legal representation, a fair trial and the rights to appeal.

Not only has Israel been weakened by this exchange, the world has been embarrassed! The UN has again proven how ineffectual and absolute useless that it is. As an international body it is a joke. Its disbandment is surely warranted.

My only hope is that Kuntar not live long enough for Israel to regret this action.

Second Anniversary of Goldwasser and Regev's Capture

And just as with Gilad Shalit, I am not optimistic that we wont have a third, fourth, fifth, etc., anniversary commemoration as friends and family commemorate the capture of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev by Hizbullah.

Today marks the second anniversary of the capture of Goldwasser and Regev by Hizbullah, sparking the Lebanon war two years ago. Both men are still held by Hizbullah and are likely dead.

Hizbullah now has tacit control in Lebanon securing a veto option in the government just days ago. Lebanon will suffer for this as Syria and Iran have both successfully thwarted a democracy in the country. Israel's leadership under Olmert engaged in a half hearted war with Hizbullah that did not achieve any of its goals and which squandered IDF's tactical and strategic advantages because the government would not commit fully to defeating Hizbullah and destroying the rat lines between Lebanon and Syria.

The situation in the wake of the war left Hizbullah bloodied but standing so that they could not only claim victory, but that they could stand up against UNIFIL and tell them to shove it as they continue to rebuild their damaged terror infrastructure and facilitated a political crisis that led to Hizbullah obtaining a veto say in the government. For all intents and purposes, Hizbullah now gets to say what Lebanon does going forward.

Deal for Dead

The Israeli Cabinet approved a deal that would swap remains of Hizbullah terrorists for Goldwasser and Regev, despite the fact that it is all too likely that both Israeli soldiers are dead.

The cabinet debated the deal for nearly six hours before the vote, which was approved 22-3, with Roni Bar-On, Ze'ev Boim and Daniel Friedmann the only ministers to vote against.

As well as freeing Kuntar, who is serving multiple life terms in a 1979 infiltration attack in Nahariyah, Israel will release dozens of bodies, including eight Hizbullah guerrillas captured during the Second Lebanon War, and a number of Palestinian prisoners.

Israel also agreed to give information regarding the disappearance of four Iranian diplomats in the nineties as part of the deal.

Hizbullah hails the deal as a show of their strength. They have every right to crow. They got what they wanted out of it, and Israel is bending over backwards to get the remains of their soldiers back. Releasing Kuntar and Palestinian terrorists is a tremendous mistake for Israel, and yet the Cabinet approved the measure 22-3.

The justification is that this deal doesn't cost Israel nearly as much as prior deals. Since when is that the guide? Israel is freeing terrorists who are more than likely to return to attacking Israel at their earlier possible opportunity.

The deal is expected to take place mid-July. Watch for Hizbullah to throw a massive party in celebration of Kuntar's release along with those of the other terrorists as a massive propaganda coup. We're also supposed to take Kuntar's attorney's word that he wont return to terrorism? What happens if and when he does? Do we get our money back?

Swap Meet

Well, I noted this yesterday on the second anniversary of the capture of Gilad Shalit by Hamas, but it bears repeating: there has been absolutely no change in the position by the terrorist group holding Shalit, nor in the position by Hizbullah concerning the release of Goldwasser and Regev.

Both terrorist groups want the release of hundreds of terrorists in exchange for the release of those soldiers. Both will not change their demands even if the Israelis rule that the soldiers are considered dead - a change that usually brings fewer prisoners released in exchange for the return of the bodies. The threat that the Israelis will declare Goldwasser and Regev dead didn't go over well with Hizbullah, which claims that their demands will not change.

The futility of negotiations with the terrorist groups shows its ugly head once again. Israel is negotiating with those groups that seek its destruction and whose demands include the release of hundreds of terrorists from Israeli jails. Those terrorists would return to their former terror masters and resume their deadly intent. How is that in Israel's security interests?

It is not.

Israel has conducted only a limited attempt to free Shalit, and Goldwasser and Regev's whereabouts are still unknown, though it is assumed that they are somewhere in Lebanon. The terrorists remain convinced that they can wait out Israel and get the Israeli leadership to eventually cave into their demands. All the while, the families of those missing soldiers live in the agony of the unknown.

Meanwhile, Egypt has discovered seven new smuggling tunnels along with drugs and weapons heading into Gaza. Once again, we see that the terrorists have no intentions of stopping their war with Israel, and are more than willing to use any time and space offered in the form of a hudna to bolster their war effort.

And Defense Minister Ehud Barak has ordered that the Gaza border crossings remain closed following yesterday's kassam attacks on Israel. That should have been a given - followed swiftly by a resumption of attacks on the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank.

UPDATE:
Hamas says that it will not police the ceasefire, which means that Islamic Jihad and the other terror groups operating in Gaza could carry out their attacks and Hamas gets to claim they have honored the ceasefire. Welcome to the triangle offense.

Two Years

Today marks the second anniversary of the capture of Gilad Shalit by Hamas. In those two years, I've remarked upon the multitude of negotiations and statements proffered by the Israelis and the terrorist group Hamas about Shalit's status and what needed to be done. This is what I wrote last year.

The situation today is unchanged from what it's been since the moment he was captured.

Hamas intends to use Shalit as a pawn to secure the release of terrorists from Israeli jails. That was their plan all along.

Hamas has had multiple opportunities to provide a humanitarian gesture and release Shalit, but has refused to do so. Even multiple visits with former President Jimmy Carter would not result in his release.

I feel for the anguish of Shalit's family, and the Olmert government's ongoing failure to secure the release of Gilad, but the Israeli government must protect not only Shalit, but all other Israelis against the potential of being captured and used as pawns to secure the release of still more terrorists from Israeli jails. It's a delicate balancing act, and the government has failed miserably to do anything other than maintain the status quo from the moment he was captured.

Gilad was captured by Hamas terrorists when they infiltrated into Israel from Gaza in an operation that killed two other Israeli soldiers.

We're also fast approaching the two year anniversary of the capture of Goldwasser and Regev by Hizbullah across the Lebanese/Israel border. That situation remains unchanged as well.

Talk Is Cheap

We're hearing plenty of news reports these days about talks between Hamas and Israel and Hizbullah and Israel. The talks revolve around all of the same contentions from two years ago, and resolution still remains wholly in the hands of the terrorists since they are the ones holding Israeli soldiers after capturing them in infiltration operations designed to force Israel to release hundreds of terrorists from Israeli jails.

First, there's the talk of Hizbullah releasing Regev and Goldwasser. Regev's father has been told that a prisoner swap is receiving serious consideration. Why would Israel do such a thing considering that Hizbullah will see this as nothing more than an opportunity to attempt yet another infiltration operation to capture still more Israelis with the intent of emptying Israeli jails of the terrorists that it has previously captured. In this instance, the talk is that Regev and Goldwasser would be released in exchange for the traitor Samir Kuntar.

Then, there's the ongoing talk about Gilad Shalit. While Hamas says that ceasefire talks and the talks about Gilad Shalit are separate, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that they are clearly connected. Shalit will not be released unless Israel releases Hamas terrorists from its jails.

None of this is really news, and yet the Israeli media is dutifully reporting what Hamas and Hizbullah are saying.

All of this is taking place even as the rockets continue slamming into Israel.

One man was lightly-to-moderately wounded after an upgraded Qassam rocket landed in the Old Muslim Cemetery near Ashkelon’s city market on Monday. The wounded man evacuated himself independently to the Barzilai Hostpial for treatment. MDA paramedics treated several people at the scene for shock.

Other Israeli communities came under fire as well. The most dovish of Israeli politicians, Yossi Beilin, who helped orchestrate the Oslo Accords, continues pushing a ceasefire, despite the fact that it would put Israeli security on the backburner. He thinks that not engaging in a ceasefire would give Hamas the advantage.

That's a wholly misguided position given the facts on the ground. Hamas took advantage of a ceasefire in 2007 when it took over Gaza after Israel's unilateral disengagement in 2005. They took over Gaza and have used it ever since to fire thousands of rockets at Israel. Any ceasefire will only enable Hamas to regroup and rearm for the next round as they have no interest in peace at all.

The one tact that has not even been attempted is to defeat Hamas and destroy it once and for all. Half measures have enabled the group to limp along and regroup over time, claiming victory for surviving. Israel's leadership continues to be paralyzed into inaction and half measures.

UPDATE:
The upheaval in the Israeli Knesset is reaching the level of absurdity. It's taking the Arab members of the Knesset to save Olmert from being tossed on the ash heap of history. They know that a no confidence vote would mean the ascendancy of Likud, and they'd lose their sway over the premiership.

And the Arab MKs are sounding a bit like Democrats who were busy protecting the likes of William "Cold Cash" Jefferson:

"The fact that the prime minister is under investigation shouldn't necessarily mean he must resign," MK Talab El-Sana (United Arab List – Ta'al) told Ynet on Monday.

Daring Israeli Raid Captures Hamas Thug Responsible For Shalit Kidnapping

Palestinian sources told Ynet that the man was apparently involved in the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

The sources said that the undercover soldiers entered the Gaza Strip, and carried out their operation near the Rafah Crossing. According to the sources, the undercover soldiers were disguised as grocers riding a donkey-pulled wagon. Sources said they disguised force even chatted with locals near the crossing.

According to the report, the undercover soldiers approached a plot of land belonging to Muhawesh al-Kadi, a senior Hamas official who acts as spokesman of the organization’s special security forces in Rafah.

Al-Kadi was working his land when the disguised force approached and kidnapped him. The Palestinian sources reported that the operation went quickly and smoothly. The undercover force left Rafah with al-Kadi, and brought him to Israel.

According to the report, the operation was carried out about 2 kilometers from the security fence, in an area where a large number of Hamas gunmen are stationed.

Hamas officials confirmed that this was one of the Israelis' most daring acts and that troops disguised as Arabs had not entered so deep into the Strip for a long time.

Since Ehud Barak took over as Defense Minister, the Israeli forces have reevaluated their positions on a wide range of issues, including how to deal with the Hamas and Hizbullah holding Israeli soldiers Shalit, Goldwasser, and Regev. Going after one of the top Hamas leaders implicated in the Shalit operation puts pressure on Hamas to deal with Israel in a way it had not expected. It's putting Israel back on an offensive posture. It also gives Israel the opportunity to pump al-Kadi for information about Shalit and other Hamas operation.

Then, there's the speculation over why Israeli planes flew over Syria earlier this week. Why did those Israeli planes fly over? The Israelis aren't exactly saying, but was it to test Syrian air defense systems? Was it a recon mission to evaluate the new Russian systems that Syria and Iran have obtained over the past several years and the Israelis wanted to see what data they could get in overflights?

It does look like that might be part of the plan. It is also a tremendous embarrassment for the Syrians who have been unable to stop Israeli overflights - either through diplomatic channels or by military force.

Unmitigated Chutzpah

Hizbullah, which started a war last summer when the Islamic terrorist group's members invaded Israel to capture Israeli soldiers (killing and wounding a dozen soldiers in the process), and who continues to hold Goldwasser and Regev more than a year later, is now engaging in lawfare - trying to sue Israel all over the world for damages resulting from the war.

Hezbollah is planning to file a host of lawsuits against Israel over the damages it caused during the Second Lebanon War. Lebanese individuals with dual citizenship will file the suits in the countries where they hold citizenship.

Attorney Ibrahim Awada, who heads Hezbollah’s legal department, revealed the plan last week on a Syrian television program devoted to “Zionist crimes against Lebanon.” He said that each plaintiff will hire a lawyer in the country where he files suit, and Hezbollah will pay the lawyers’ fees.

HT: Hot Air.

UPDATE:
Hizbullah is launching the lawsuits because the Lebanese government was thwarted from doing so itself because UN SCR 1701 blamed Hizbullah for the war, not Israel. Go figure. The facts are against them, so they're busy pounding on the table demanding that someone pay them for the damages resulting from a war that they started.

Lebanon's Assault on Fatah al Islam Resumes

The Lebanese army resumed its air raids and shelling of islamist gunmen holed up at Nahr al-Bared on Saturday after evacuating the last remaining civilians from the battered refugee camp. Helicopters carried out repeated raids dropping 250- and 400-kilogram bombs on the small area still controlled by the Al-Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam members while tanks shelled the camp, AFP reported.



"Pressure on the militants will be maintained until they heed our call to surrender," an army spokesman said. According to him, information gathered from the 63 women and children who were evacuated from the camp on Friday could help the army in its final assault on the militants.

Lebanon's military has been fighting Fatah al Islam for nearly three months now and has reduce large parts of Nahr al-Bared to rubble in heavy fighting.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese have requested that the UN peacekeeping forces (UNIFIL) stay on for another year. UNIFIL could stay on indefinitely, but unless UNIFIL and the Lebanese start disarming Hizbullah throughout the country, the threat of war hangs over the country. Right now, UNIFIL's mandate only permits them to deal with Hizbullah South of the Litani River, but Hizbullah has regrouped and swarmed the area to the North, placing its forces inside civilian areas - knowing that if they fire on Israel, the counterbattery fire will result in Lebanese civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, there is still no word on Goldwasser and Regev, who have been held by Hizbullah for more than a year.

UNIFIL has also failed to implement all the terms of UN SCR 1701, including securing Lebanon's borders and preserving its territorial integrity from militias and incursions by countries, including Syria. I've repeatedly noted that Syria's interference in Lebanon is a tremendously destabilizing factor - and that interference includes assassinating political opponents and funding and supporting terrorists who operate within Lebanon.

Faded Hope

I had considered it a longshot that Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev, or Gilad Shalit would be released alive, especially the longer that their captivity by Islamic terrorists endured. There have been few signs that they are alive, and the inability to confirm that they're alive must be extremely disheartening to their families.

A report today suggests that either Goldwasser or Regev have indeed died while in the hands of Hizbullah.

One of two Israel Defense Forces kidnapped by Hezbollah last summer is no longer alive, a Lebanese newspaper reported Saturday.

In the first report by a Lebanese media outlet on the soldiers' fate since their 2006 abduction, the a-Nahar daily quoted German diplomatic sources as saying they were under the impression that either Ehud Goldwasser or Eldad Regev had died.

Hezbollah abducted Regev and Goldwasser in a cross-border raid last July that sparked the Second Lebanon War.

It was the capture of Goldwasser and Regev in a Hizbullah invasion of Israel last summer that sparked a month long war that ravaged Lebanon and did considerable damage to Northern Israel as Hizbullah hid among civilian areas in South Lebanon and fired off thousands of rockets and mortars against Israeli cities.

The families of Goldwasser and Regev are both discounting the reports are unsubstantiated, as without any evidence there is no way to corroborate the information. Hizbullah has refused to give the Red Cross or Red Crescent access to see the Israeli soldiers.

I simply don't trust Hizbullah on this, but their intentions are quite clear - they are itching for another conflict with Israel and are rearming North of the Litani River in Southern Lebanon.

Free Them Now Rally Recap

I wasn't able to show up for the rally in New York City this afternoon, but quite a few others showed their support for a most worth cause - demanding the release of Israeli soldiers Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev. They want justice done. It was a beautiful day and turnout was great.

The three Israelis are currently being held by Hamas and Hizbullah as pawns to force Israel to make concessions - including the release of hundreds of Palestinian terrorists held in Israeli jails. Gilad has been held by Hamas for more than a year and Goldwasser and Regev are going on a year in captivity by these terrorists.

Yet, Hamas and Hizbullah are more than jihadi Islamist terrorist groups. They also claim to be political parties and members of governments - Hamas as part of the Palestinian Authority and Hizbullah as part of the Lebanese government. That presents an interesting conundrum given that Hizbullah invaded Israel to capture Israeli soldiers and provoked a major war last summer as a result. Hizbullah continues to stand in violation of UN SCR 1701, and has not completely disarmed as required by the UN, nor has it released Goldwasser or Regev.

Pamela at Atlas Shrugs has comprehensive coverage - video and photos as well. No Submission also has photos from the rally.

A Year Removed From the Hizbullah War

One year ago, Hizbullah began a devastating war against Israel - devastating mostly for Lebanon, which still suffers from the destruction of infrastructure by Israeli forces determined to root out Hizbullah.

The problem is that Hizbullah is still there, and itching for another fight. They've been rearmed by Iran, and while much of South Lebanon remains damaged, Hizbullah's will to fight hasn't.

A year after the Second Lebanon War, in the villages of south Lebanon the destruction is apparent everywhere. Life has not yet returned to normal, the water supply to some of the houses is cut off, and the power supply is also interrupted.

Hizbullah's fighters, on the other hand, have made a full recovery and are prepared for a potential future confrontation with the IDF. The sophisticated weapons provided by Iran since the ceasefires are ready to go into use.

At least 70 percent of the residents of Bint Jbeil, the Shiites' capital, have left the village. Despite the dozens of Hizbullah flags that are hung throughout the village and hundreds of posters proclaiming victory placed along the South's roads, one can not detect overt Hizbullah presence; no armed men on the streets, only top leaders of the organization know the whereabouts of the weapon depots.

Yet, Hizbullah is keeping an eye on every suspicious move. Young men on motorcycles roam the streets of Bint Jbeil. Several residents claim they are Hizbullah and that the UN Resolution will not stop them.

"We are Hizbullah. Israelis don't understand that our warriors are the residents of the area. They are farmers working their olive and tobacco fields. Over the years they realized that Israel is the enemy of the Lebanese people.

Hizbullah is the enemy of the Lebanese people, and they are entirely responsible for dragging the country into a disasterous war. Israel did not initiate that conflict; Hizbullah did by invading Israel to capture Israeli soldiers - Goldwasser and Regev - and killed and wounded several other Israeli soldiers. Israel's response was to recover those soldiers, and to deal Hizbullah a fatah blow. UNIFIL failed to do its job under UN SCR 1559, which required disarmament of all militias operating in Lebanon and securing Lebanon's territorial integrity, and it continues to fail as Hizbullah has rearmed despite the claims that UNIFIL is disarming them.

UPDATE:
As though you didn't need another reminder that UNIFIL is useless and Hizbullah was rearming to a strength not seen since last year's war, we have this (Hat Tip: Charles at LGF):

A poster that shows Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah with Arabic writing reading: ‘more than twenty thousand missile,’ is seen on a displayed armored vehicle in the southern village of Qassimiyeh, Lebanon Wednesday, July 11, 2007. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Props and Tools Revisited

I recently wrote about how the terrorists would use people like Gilad Shalit or Alan Johnston as props and tools in their propaganda campaign.

I certainly wasn't disappointed. That's Johnston on the left, and Ismail Haniyeh on the right. Haniyeh is the top terrorist in Gaza and head of Hamas there. He's responsible for multiple terrorist attacks and has no problem with launching rockets into Israel in its war against Israel.

It looks like whatever differences between the Doghmush clan and Hamas have been resolved, and they will be working together again. I get the feeling that this was all a sham of being able to play bad cop and worse cop.

Carl in Jerusalem points out how his release came to pass:

Useful idiot Alan Johnston was released early this morning by the 'Army of Islam' after a 'prisoner exchange' with Hamas. The fact that Hamas regarded Johnston as its prisoner, and gave up members of the Dugmash clan in return for his release, along with the picture at the top of this post, speaks volumes about who Johnston really is and what he represents. While rejoicing with Johnston, Haniyeh said that kidnapped IDF corporal Gilad Shalit could be released as well if Israel will be 'reasonable.' I wonder how many murderers of Hamas members were released in exchange for Johnston. I would assume none.

The only kind of reasonableness that Hamas wants is the release of hundreds of Palestinian terrorists from Israeli jails in exchange for Gilad Shalit. Anything less has been unacceptable. Israel says that Hamas must now release Shalit.

There will be a demonstration on July 16 in front of the UN building at noon to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Shalit and Goldwasser and Regev who are being held by Hizbullah in Lebanon.

Free Them Now

I received the following by email and am reprinting it here in its entirety because it deserves wider coverage:

A year has passed since IDF soldiers Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were kidnapped by Hamas and Hezbollah

Show the world we have not forgotten and will not forget them.
Demand their immediate and unconditional release.

join Karnit and Miki Goldwasser
as well as other special guests

on

Monday July 16th, 2007
12:00 noon/ Rain or Shine
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (First Avenue and 47th Street)
New York City

For more information contact:
The Jewish Community Relations Council of UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey at (201) 488-6800 or go to www.ujannj.org

---
For those that haven't been paying attention, Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas more than a year ago and remains held by the Islamic terrorists in Gaza. Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were captured by Hizbullah in a cross border raid from Lebanon just short of a year ago, which precipitated a war between Israel and Hizbullah that caused serious damage to both Israel and Lebanon. Hizbullah still holds the two Israeli soldiers.

Palestinian Civil War Watch Reemerges

There is no truce, not when your body count keeps rising and there isn't anyone dumb enough to get in the middle of the gunfire to tell everyone to go home. The latest tally includes eight Fatah members killed by Hamas just in the past 24 hours.

Monday’s fighting erupted when Hamas gunmen approached a training base used by Fatah forces that guard the crossing, officials said. The base was set up in part by an American security team sent to train Palestinians on how to check cargo and baggage at crossings.

The Hamas force attacked the base with rockets, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, said Ahmed al-Kaisi, spokesman for the pro-Fatah Presidential Guard, which guards the crossing under an agreement with Israel. “We consider this a serious provocation and a crime committed in cold blood,” al-Kaisi said.

When forces from another Fatah security unit raced to the scene to provide backup, they were ambushed by Hamas gunmen, witnesses said.

A jeep full of security men that came under fire veered off the road and crashed. Hamas forces then surrounded the vehicle and riddled it with gunfire, said one witness, who works in a nearby factory. “It was unbelievable. May God help us,” said the man, who gave only his first name, Jamil, out of fear for his safety.

Make that 11 dead and Hamas is openly threatening Abbas with death if Hamas thugs who took over a several strategic locations are removed forcefully. The coalition government is in tatters as Hamas wants to go to all-out war with Israel, while the Fatah members want to table that motion and kill Israel with thousands of tiny paper cuts. Gaza is all but ceded to Hamas because they have the numbers. The West Bank is still up in the air, and Fatah has a marginal advantage there - namely that Israeli forces are operating in the region. Fatah's capabilities are severely limited at this point, and there's no reason to save them either.

The US recently tried to do just that - sending weapons to Fatah's security services. Hamas simply ambushed the weapons convoy and took it for themselves. It's a big mistake to arm any of the Palestinians at this point - if they're not firing on each other, they'll simply use the weapons on Israelis.

Israel has also limited Fatah's ability to operate inside Jerusalem, particularly through the effective security fence and checkpoints that have improved Israeli security and reduced the PLO visibility in Jerusalem. That further weakens Fatah's overall standing within the Palestinian community, which sees nothing but weakness from Fatah and nothing but violence from Hamas. They're stuck between a rock and a hard place - and they've got no one but themselves to thank for this mess.

Meanwhile, Israeli PM Olmert says that he's more than willing to talk with Hamas if they abide by the Quartet rules. Olmert knows Hamas will never do that, and there are reports that Palestinian terrorists have been busy firing on Israeli forces yet again.

Yet, the Olmert government does such a poor job of media relations - shaping the conversation and putting Israel's interests and the facts ahead of the Palestinian propaganda, that one has to question their resolve to see things through. Meryl Yourish also points out the International Committee of the Red Cross's blatant hypocrisy and double standard with Israel. The ICRC leaks a confidential report on Israel's human rights treatment of Palestinians, all while it ignored years of blatant Arab human rights persecution of Jews from 1948 through 1967, not to mention that the ICRC has yet to gain access to Shalit, Goldwasser, or Regev since they were taken by the terrorist groups (though Hamas is part of the Palestinian Authority). Nothing but silence on that point. Israeli double standard time.

UPDATE:
The British are telling the Palestinians to stop the senseless violence. Sorry, but it's not senseless. Hamas knows just how weak Fatah is and they're pressing home the advantage. That means taking out Fatah thugs and rising bloodshed - all with the hope of pushing Fatah to the side once and for all.

Britain on Tuesday urged the Palestinian security forces to restore order urgently, after "senseless" violence in the Gaza Strip that has left 18 people dead since the weekend.

"I am deeply concerned by the dangerous upsurge in violence between Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip, and by the number of deaths since the weekend," said Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett in a statement.

"This fighting is senseless: it endangers civilians, makes it harder for the international community to help the people of Gaza, and undermines the peace process.

The Palestinian Authority, Hamas, or Fatah have never been interested in human rights or providing basic services - their primary interest was eliminating Israel and failing that - to blame Israel for all their own problems. That's not about to change now.

UPDATE:
Fatah is sending in reinforcements - 500 Fatah members who have been receiving training in Egypt. I doubt that will do the trick.

The Fatah official, Tawfiq Abu Khoussa, said of the returning men: "The role of the security forces is to protect the security of the Palestinian people and not to take part in internal fighting."

The force is reported to be under the command of Muhammad Dahlan, national security adviser to Mr Abbas, who also leads Fatah.

The only way to stop the internal fighting and improve the security of the Palestinian people is to engage the thugs from both Fatah and Hamas, and that isn't going to happen anytime soon, especially by these latest Fatah thugs.

Of more interest is the editorial roundup from around the region, where many Arab and/or Islamic papers wonder about the situation in Gaza and some are calling for a united strategy to ease tensions (jeez, could that include refocusing all attention on destroying Israel?).

UPDATE:
As if on cue, Hamas launched a barrage of kassam rockets at Sderot causing significant injuries:

At least 17 people, including four children, were lightly to moderately wounded after Hamas terrorists fired at least seven Kassam rockets into Sderot for nearly two hours on Tuesday. Thirteen people were reported to have suffered from shock.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday evening to consult with IDF officials including Chief of General Staff, Lt. -Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi. So far, Israel has hit back with artillery fire at open spaces in northern Gaza, the military said. Palestinian officials said no one was hurt in the retaliatory attack.

The first Kassam rocket directly hit a private residence and another hit a school building in the city.

Where is the world outrage over this attack? I'm betting on crickets. I'm awaiting a more concerted Israeli response than firing at open fields and churning up dust. The terrorists think that they can fire on Israel without fear of repercussions - and they'd be right. They're also hoping that getting Israel into a prolonged fight will stop the fighting among the various Palestinian terror groups. Israel needs to do what it must to eliminate the terror threat, and that means going after Hamas, Fatah, PIJ, and all the other splinter groups, regardless of whether they're part of the PA or not.

How many Israelis have to be injured or killed by Palestinian terror attacks before the message is received?

UPDATE:
LGF has been following the rocket attacks and has video put together by One Jerusalem.

UPDATE:
Snapped Shot has more from Sderot.

UPDATE:
Mere Rhetoric has more on the situation in Sderot and wonders whether the IDF may hold off on a ground offensive if the Israelis believe that Hamas and Fatah could kill more of each other than the IDF could deal with in short time. It also appears that those wounded by the rocket attacks are more seriously injured than the initial reports had indicated.

Meryl hopes that Fatah and Hamas both lose. I concur.

Others blogging: Tel-Chai Nation, Carl in Jerusalem, Israpundit, and Isreallycool.

UPDATE:
How many weeks and months did it take for the New York Times to finally realize that the illusion of unity between Hamas and Fatah was nothing but empty sloganeering and nonsense lapped up by a willing media and diplomats eager to ignore the difficult reality?

It never got off to a serious start, and as this week’s resignation of the independent interior minister, Hani al-Qawasmeh, made clear, the leaders of the fighting men were never prepared to listen to one authority anyway.

The continuing battle between Fatah and Hamas for power in Gaza also makes the likelihood of substantive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians ever more distant.

Of course, it wouldn't be the NYT unless it NYT continues its flawed analysis, seeking to find ways to pin the blame for a lack of a peace deal with Israel on the Israelis. You just have to ignore the genocidal rhetoric of Hamas and Fatah and consistent calls for Israel's destruction.

UPDATE:
Gaza gunmen opened fire on the Egyptian mediator who was trying to stop the fighting between Hamas and Fatah.

Others blogging the ongoing conflict: Yid With Lid, Clarity and Resolve, America's Victory 08, and Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.

Olmert Should Have Seen This Coming

After the way Israeli Prime Minister governed and led his country in the August 2006 war against Hizbullah, he should have expected the report on the government's response to the Hizbullah war to slam the way he led the war.

According to the report, Olmert bears the responsibility for the decision to go to war without sufficient preparation, a decision the committee called "serious flaws in judgement, responsibility, and caution."

In addition, in the final chapter of the report, Olmert is described as a passive leader who was led by the nose by the army and who did not take charge of the war he was supposed to be commanding.

The committee found that Peretz was unfamiliar with the state of the IDF, although his job demanded that he be. The report went on to state that the defense minister should not have accepted the Defense portfolio in the first place, and did not do what he should have to make up for his lack of knowledge of security matters after he accepted the post.

I'm being charitable when I say led, because he made Whiplash Ray Nagin of New Orleans seem downright decisive by comparison. Olmert kept changing his mind on whether to take out Hizbullah with the full might of the Israeli military, and even when he sent troops north into Lebanon, he did so half-heartedly and didn't go after the Lebanon Syria border to shut down the resupply lines between Hizbullah and its patrons. Not only did more weapons and personnel come through into Lebanon, but Hizbullah leadership were able to survive the war and claim victory even as much of South Lebanon lay in ruin because Hizbullah used the six years following the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon to turn the entire region into a tunnel and bunker complex - often mixed in with residential areas so as to maximize civilian casualties.

The report goes further and notes that the Israeli political leadership was underwhelming in their ability to get up to speed, and the IDF Chief of Staff Halutz didn't take the Hizbullah rocket attacks seriously enough.

What's interesting is that the Israelis are making the same exact mistake they did in not taking rocket attacks seriously enough. Hamas and the other terrorist groups are regularly firing rockets into Israel from Gaza and Olmert is showing far too much restraint in going after the terrorists firing those rockets and the terrorist infrastructure that believes that Israel simply doesn't have the willpower to fight.

Israel is losing its capability to defend itself because of self-imposed restraint on the use of force against terrorists. The terrorists see this and know that they can continue their violence against Israel, and the media picks up any Israeli defensive actions as being disproportionate. The terrorists need to be disabused of the notion that Israel will not defend itself using all the means at its disposal - up to and including eliminating the terrorist threat and destroying the PA once and for all. The PA has repeatedly shown itself unwilling to stop the terrorist attacks, and instead is used to shift foreign aid to the terror campaign and provide political cover even as the terrorist attacks continue.

The media regularly ignores the fact that Israel has nearly completely stopped the suicide bombers from entering Israel with the security fence, and that ongoing operations have thwarted dozens of other plots. The rocket attacks continue on a near daily basis and it is a matter of time before more Israelis are killed. Hamas also has declared that they want to capture still more Israelis to be used as bargaining chips to secure the release of Palestinian terrorists in Israeli jails.

Where is the pressure to be brought to bear on a terrorist regime whose first inclination is to engage in terrorism, kidnapping, and extortion to get its way? No - the pressure is on Israel to make ever more concessions even as the Palestinians avoid any obligations of their own.

UPDATE:
Meryl Yourish has a good piece up about how Hamas is preparing for another round with Israel, and is preparing to fight on the Hizbullah model. She also notes that Israel's enemies keep saying give us peace or we'll kill you. I'd modify that slightly - Israel's enemies want Israel in pieces or they'll kill you. In the end, it's the same thing. Israel is facing enemies who seek nothing less than Israel's very annihilation. Whether you speak of Hizbullah, Hamas, Fatah or Islamic Jihad, or Iran or Syria, the rhetoric is invariably the same, and the intent is there.

Carl in Jerusalem has links to the actual report and analysis. Among the conclusions - Peretz should never have been Defense Minister. Heh. It would seem that the report is setting Peretz up as the fall guy and might help Foreign Minister Lipni, even though she's not entirely competent either.

UPDATE:
The calls for Olmert to resign are increasing, though I doubt he's got enough sense to resign out of his ongoing failures as Prime Minister.

UPDATE:
Others blogging the Winograd Commission report include: Power Line, Efraim Inbar, and Yid with a Lid.

UPDATE:
Hizbullah is taking the Winograd Report as an admission that Hizbullah won the war last year. It is rather difficult to find otherwise - Hizbullah is still in existence and it still holds Goldwasser and Regev, while Israel has little to show for the effort. South Lebanon ended up on the receiving end of most of the damage though, not that Hizbullah matters.