What Does Fatah Think It Gains From Renewed Violence?

Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade terrorists in Gaza fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with protesters who have been raging against Israel after a Palestinian man died in Israeli custody. Palestinians claim he was tortured and killed, which Israel denies.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which says it is affiliated with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, took responsibility for the attack. The rocket fell on a road in southern Israel. No injuries were reported, according to Israeli Defense Forces radio.

Days of clashes between dozens of Palestinian stone-throwers and Israeli soldiers have taken place since the death of Arafat Jaradat, a 30-year-old Palestinian man who died under unclear circumstances while in Israeli police custody.

Palestinian officials insist Jaradat was tortured to death during an interrogation. An Israeli autopsy conducted in the presence of a Palestinian physician showed bruises and a couple of broken ribs which, Israel says, could have occurred during resuscitation efforts.

Tensions were already high after several Palestinian demonstrations demanding the release of more than 4,000 prisoners held in Israeli prisons for everything from stone-throwing to terror attacks.

It's a flashpoint that Fatah thinks can it can exploit as President Obama is scheduled to come to Israel next month.

It makes no sense though.

The Palestinian Authority and Fatah have a level of autonomy that comes from an uneasy status quo where Fatah controls much of the West Bank with civil administrative control and regions are off limits to Israelis. All this was set forth in the Oslo Accords and follow on agreements.

Palestinians refused to even consider peace deals that included land swaps the two times that Israel proffered a comprehensive deal. In fact, in both instances the Palestinian response was more violence, not a counter proposal upon which further negotiations could occur.

Perhaps Fatah thinks that they need to remind Palestinians that they can resort to violence just as surely as Hamas has done since 2005. Yet, the end result of the violence would be further security clampdowns on Palestinian mobility through the West Bank and crossing points into Israel. That serves no one, least of all Palestinian businesses. The violence only ratchets up the tensions.

Perhaps Fatah's Mahmoud Abbas thinks that the violence will lead President Obama to come forth with a proposal that would impose a peace deal, but that's not going to happen. The US has already signaled that the President isn't coming with a peace proposal in hand, but instead is coming to hear what both sides have to say about the matter.

Or, perhaps Abbas thinks that they need this violence so as to engage in a rapproachment with Hamas, but I don't think Abbas is so cynical as to believe that that's possible given how Abbas and Fatah have generally worked out a coexistence with Israel on civil administrative and security matters that allows many in the West Bank to attend to the business of business. Hamas considers Fatah to be sell-outs of Palestinian freedom by merely accepting Israel's existence.

Reflexively, Palestinian leaders revert to violence when the needs suit them because they simply haven't accepted that a peace deal could be reached after all the promises that they've given Palestinians for generations that they would wipe Israel from the map and/or overwhelm them demographically with a right of return.

For its part, Israel has no reason to inflame tensions or ratchet up the violence. There's enough instability on Israel's borders to keep its security officials up at night. With the Syrian civil war raging and the situation in Egypt uncertain while the porous Sinai border with Gaza allowing an ongoing influx of weapons and material to Hamas, Israel's neighbors are all dealing with internal issues (though Assad and others may try to cause conflict with Israel so as to deflect attention from their own problems).

The US policy has been that a peace deal will come only when both Israelis and Palestinians sit down and hash out a deal. That's the right strategy as an imposed deal will not carry as much weight as one that the two sides manage to hash out. I'm quite pessimistic that any such deal could be worked out when Hamas still refuses to accept Israel's existence and that they view ceasefires as a hudna in which they're able to regroup and rearm for the next armed phase of their conflict with Israel.

In other words, Israel faces not a united Palestinian front, but one that for all intents and purposes has created three "states" - Israel, Fatah-controlled West Bank, and Hamas-controlled Gaza. A 3-state solution reflects the situation on the ground, but isn't a sustainable concept diplomatically when Hamas and Fatah are both nominally representing the Palestinian people. The 2-state solution is on life support, but it's been that way ever since the Palestinian civil war split control of Gaza and the West Bank between Fatah and Hamas, not because Israel wants to see an end to the dialogue.

Thus, the latest outbreak of violence will end as it usually does - lots more people injured, property damage, inflamed passions, and neither side budging on core issues.

What Ceasefire? Hamas Continues Terrorizing Southern Israel With Rocket Barrages

Dozens of rockets have been fired in the past several hours alone by Hamas from Gaza. Israel responds with airstrikes against those responsible and the BBC turns the situation around by putting the Israeli reprisal before the initiating act - the rocket fire.

But for the Hamas terror attacks, Israel would have no need to respond with force.

As it is, the Hamas terrorists responsible think little of their fellow Palestinians as most of the rockets fired at Israel didn't actually make it into Israel; they landed within Gaza.

Hamas targets included a school and public spaces in Israel and one Israeli was injured and two others were treated for shock. Because this is Saturday, the school was closed. That's the only saving grace from that particular attack. Yet, the ongoing attacks mean that Israelis within range of Gaza have to be under constant watch for sirens and rocket/missile alerts so that they can duck for cover at a moment's notice. The ranges mean that someone would have less than a minute from the time the rockets, missiles, or mortars are fired.

The Iron Dome system intercepted five of the incoming rockets.

Truce Isn't Holding As Rockets Continue Slamming Into Israel

Egypt has been trying to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian terrorists in Gaza, but with little effect. The terrorists continue firing their rockets, including two fired towards Ashkelon. One was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. That brings the total fired on Israel during Wednesday to more than 70:

At approximately 1:30 pm a Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed in open territory in th Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. No one was wounded and no damaged was caused.

Earlier, at around 7:30 am, five rockets landed in the Negev's Eshkol Regional Council, but there were no reports of injuries or damage.

No less than 70 rockets hit Israel's southern region on Wednesday.

Following the attack on Ashkelon, Mayor Benny Vaknin ordered local elementary schools to remain closed Thursday. The mayor reached the decision following consultations with security establishment officials and parent committee representatives.

"The parents' committee representatives told me their children barely slept last night because of the sirens, and some of them suffer from anxiety. After consulting with security officials I decided to keep the schools closed," the mayor said.

No country would ever allow an enemy regime or entity to engage in such actions for any duration of time without suffering serious repercussions, and yet Israel is expected to do just that. Israeli airstrikes are extremely limited in scope, and it appears that Israel's government is willing to accept a certain level of violence in order to maintain the status quo.

The terrorists know this as well. They can attack up to a certain level of carnage before Israel will respond and retaliate for the damage wrought on Israeli lives and property.

What we're seeing now is the usual dance - Israel's retaliations for the attacks that left one Israeli Arab dead and several others injured result in still more mortar and missile/rocket barrages, and the escalation results in more Israeli airstrikes against terrorist infrastructure. Once the Israelis hit enough critical targets, the terrorists claim that Israel has gone too far and cry for a ceasefire, which they promptly break by blaming Israel for defending itself.

Palestinian Terrorists Continue Missile Attacks On Israel

Israel continues to take fire from Gaza for a third consecutive day. More than 55 rockets slammed into Israel after Israel carried out airstrikes following a terror attack where an Israeli Arab was killed while working on the security fence between Israel and Egypt (the Sinai fence). The Israeli airstrikes have targeted Hamas and other terror groups, including Islamic Jihad and their offshoots:

In the third day of violence, the Israel Air Force struck a motorbike in southern Gaza, seriously injuring Mohammed Rashdan who the IDF said was a member of a Gaza-based Global Jihad group and one of the planners of the deadly attack along the Egyptian border on Monday.

Aleb Armilat, who assisted Rashdan in planning the attack, was killed in the strike. In the evening, the IAF struck two more targets in Gaza, which it said were Hamas training camps. The Palestinians said that two teenagers were injured in the strikes.

In another strike, a 14-year-old was reportedly killed as the IAF bombed what it said was a rocket launching cell in the northern Gaza Strip.

The dead teenager was identified as Momen al-Adam. Two other people were reported injured in the attack. The airstrikes on Wednesday followed eight bombings late Tuesday night throughout the Gaza Strip.

IDF sources said that Rashuan was in the midst of planning another attack against Israel from the Sinai and that he was one of the key architects of Monday’s attack. One officer said that the involvement of Global Jihad operatives in attacks against Israel was not surprising but was concerning since the groups did not heed Hamas’s authority and would be difficult to rein in to abide by a new ceasefire.

Some of the groups are made up of former Islamic Jihad and Hamas members. Others, the officer said, come from Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

One of the rockets hit an Israeli home in Sdot Negev, but no injuries were reported. The Iron Dome missile defense system apparently intercepted an inbound attack on Netivot.

Since the border attack, Israel has been hit by more than 100 rockets and mortars.

Once again, it appears that the terror groups in Gaza are coordinating and hoping to lure Israel into a larger conflict (as well as potentially destabilizing the Camp David Accords with Egypt). The terrorists have no problem directing or taking fire on civilian areas since maximizing casualties is part of the propaganda war with Israel. At the same time, they show that Israel lacks a partner for peace in Gaza; Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist and sees the conflict as a way to maintain its own power.

Israel Celebrates Independence Day; Terrorists Carry Out Rocket Attacks

Israel is busy celebrating its 64th Independence Day, while terrorists in Gaza and Sinai carried out terror attacks in the form of rocket fire against Israelis in Ashkelon and Eilat.

An air raid siren was sounded on Wednesday night and one rocket exploded in the region. There were no reports of injuries or damages.

Residents told Ynet that at around half past midnight, at the height of an Independence Day party, a siren sounded. Some of the residents said that they also heard an explosion.

The rocket was most likely fired from the Gaza Strip and exploded in an open area within the regional council.

The Eilat attack was carried out from the Sinai, which has been a wild west free-for-all since Hosni Mubarak was deposed last year.

Terrorists fired at least one rocket at Israel's southern resort city of Eilat Wednesday night. No injuries or damage were reported.

Reports of large explosions had security forces canvassing the city. The remnants of a grad rocket were eventually found on a residential construction site.

The defense establishment believes the fire emanated from Sinai, although no terror group has claimed the fire so far.

Egyptian security hasn't been able to keep the region secured allowing terrorists to repeatedly attack the gas pipeline leading to Israel as well as rocket attacks and infiltrations in and around Eilat.

Meanwhile, in a bit of good news from the Palestinians, Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas is trying to convince Arab leaders that visits to the Dome of the Rock and al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's Old City atop the Temple Mount is not a tacit recognition of Israel's territorial claims to the city.

Muslim faithful visit Mecca and Medina with the permission of Saudi Arabia. But seeking Israel's consent to get to al-Aksa is seen by some Muslims as acquiescence in Israeli occupation.

But this month, two Jordanian princes visited the mosque and adjacent Dome of the Rock, and Jordanian intelligence official Hussein al-Majali was seen at the sacred compound on Monday.

Their trips to Jerusalem must have been coordinated with Israel. Access to al-Aqka is guarded by Israel security forces, who protect all of Jerusalem's holy sites.

Abbas said there was a "long controversy with several prominent Arab and non-Arab figures, on visiting al-Aksa and Jerusalem". Some were saying "this visit is forbidden", he told an Arab youth delegation in Ramallah.

"There was an intense and important dispute between us and some of our brothers among Islamic scholars whom we respect," Abbas said. "But they mixed the religious with the secular, religion with politics, and partisanship with Islam. The result was that they've lost touch with what's right and just."

When prominent Egyptian cleric Mufti Ali Gomaa visited al-Aksa last week, there were calls for his resignation from the Islamist-dominated parliament in Cairo.

Fact is that before Israel captured East Jerusalem, including the Old City and the Temple Mount, there was a fraction of the religious freedoms now seen. Jews could not visit the Old City, let alone the Western Wall - Judaism's holiest spot on the planet. After 1967, Jews, Muslims, and Christians can peacefully visit the holy sites in Jerusalem under Israeli security.

It's disheartening to see Muslim religious leaders being castigated for visiting the holy sites precisely because some think this is tacit recognition of Israel and its claims on the city, but the fact is that Israel has guaranteed access to the holy sites where the Jordanians did not when they occupied the city from 1948 to 1967. Access is limited when the Palestinians use the holy sites as a focal point for rioting - and attacking Jews praying at the Western Wall.

Abbas needs the foreign leaders and dignitaries to come to help with tourism and building up the society, but he can't go so far as to delegitimize Israel. It's a balancing act but note also that these were Jordanian princes and intelligence officials who came - Jordan has a peace deal with Israel since 1994. That Jordanians are coming to visit the holy sites shouldn't even be notable, but it is a sign of just how cold the peace that Israel has already achieved with Jordan and Egypt.

Once Again, Media Focuses On Israel's Response To Palestinian Terror Attacks - Not The Terror Attacks Themselves

Over the past several days, Israel has endured more than 100 mortar and kassams fired at it. They've been fired by Palestinian terrorists from inside Gaza at civilians in Ashdod and elsewhere within range of the mortars and rockets.

It was only Israel's response - a series of airstrikes and counter battery fire, which killed and injured Palestinians that the international media caught wind of what was going on (see CNN, MSNBC, New York Times, etc.). After all, where was CNN's reporting of the Palestinian terror attacks? They were absent - subordinate to the Israeli response.

It's the same story that Israel has endured for years on end - Israel's enemies carry out attacks with impunity and without media scrutiny, but Israel's response is viewed with strict scrutiny.

Up to 15 Palestinian fighters have died in the airstrikes. At least 10 of the dead belonged to the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, the group said in a statement. Mourners at a funeral procession on Saturday fired into the air as they made their way from a hospital in central Gaza City to Shejaeya, a neighborhood where many of the dead fighters had lived.

They chanted, “No free hudna from now on” and “We will not accept the degrading hudna,” referring to the fragile truce with Israel that has been largely observed by Hamas, the larger Islamic group that controls Gaza. Hamas often presses smaller militant groups to refrain from firing rockets at Israel.

A spokesman for Islamic Jihad’s armed wing who is known as Abu Ahmad said, “We will not accept a truce in exchange for our deaths.”

The Israeli military says that it is not seeking an escalation of violence in the region, but that it will act forcefully to protect Israeli citizens.

The sudden flare-up of hostilities began Friday when Israeli air-to-ground missiles killed the leader of one of the militant groups, the Popular Resistance Committees, and his assistant in Gaza. Israel said that the strike on the men’s car had been timed to thwart a terrorist attack that the group was planning against Israelis from across the border with Egypt.

Militants in Gaza retaliated by firing barrages of rockets into southern Israel, and the Israeli Air Force struck back at numerous rocket-firing squads and facilities used by the militant groups. The exchanges continued, albeit with less intensity, through Saturday.

Witnesses said that pilotless drones over Gaza were responsible for most of the strikes against militants and that the strikes occurred as the fighters were launching rockets, or just after they had fired them.

The fact is that nearly all those killed by Israel in the reprisals are members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which was in the process of carrying out a terror attack when Israel preemptively killed a terror leader and his minion. Islamic Jihad's response was the firing of more than 100 rockets at Israel.

The lack of collateral casualties speaks of the high level of precision in targeting the terrorists and separates Israel from its enemies - who fire indiscriminately on and from civilians so as to maximize civilian casualties.

But for the Palestinian terror group seeking to attack Israel in the first place, Israel would not have responded as it did. Israel's further attacks against those seeking to attack Israel must be seen in this light.

Israel doesn't want this fight, but Israel's enemies remain intractable and refuse to accept Israel's existence and will carry out attacks every time they consider conditions favorable.

New Skirmishes Erupt As Gazan Terrorists Attack Israeli Security Forces Along Fence

Gazan terrorists carried out a sustained attack against an Israeli security force working on the security fence between Israel and Gaza. It was a sustained skirmish, and no Israelis were injured in the attack on the Israelis who were fixing the security barrier between Israel and Gaza.

Armed Palestinians on Thursday opened fire on IDF forces that were working on the security fence near Kibbutz Zikim, north of the Gaza Strip.

The force was positioned near the fence when suddenly shots and mortar shells were fired at them from the Gaza Strip. The force responded with fire, hitting several members of the terrorist cell. No injuries reported among the IDF forces, but a military vehicle sustained light damage.

This may have been an attempt to capture an Israeli a la Shalit but were thwarted by a concerted effort by the Israelis to pin down and kill the terror cell attacking them.

A Hamas operative was among the Palestinian terrorists killed.

Israel has suspended transfer payments to the Palestinian Authority following the UNESCO vote to grant the PA membership. The Israelis have also stopped their $2 million payment to UNESCO over the vote.

All this follows over 40 mortars and rockets fired at Israel over the weekend.

UNESCO Grants Palestinian Authority Membership While Rockets Fall On Israel Fired From Gaza

UNESCO has voted to recognize the PA for full membership. The international organization may well lose US funding (a longstanding US law prohibits funding to int'l organizations if they recognize PA before statehood through negotiation).

Legislation dating back more than 15 years stipulates a complete cutoff of American financing to any United Nations agency that accepts the Palestinians as a full member. Unesco — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — depends on the United States for 22 percent of its budget, about $70 million a year.

After the vote, David T. Killion, the American ambassador, said that the United States “remains deeply committed” to Unesco. But he said that Monday’s decision, which he repeatedly called premature, “will complicate our ability to support Unesco.” The United States will seek other means to support the agency, Mr. Killion said, although he did not offer specifics about any avenues under consideration.

The Obama administration and Unesco had tried to avert the approval and diplomats had desperately negotiated with Congress, the Palestinians and other Unesco member states to find a resolution that would preserve the agency’s budget.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sought to head off a vote and avoid a cutoff in aid. “We’ve made the point that there are very clear redlines in U.S. legislation and that if those are crossed in Unesco, that the legislation is triggered,” the department’s spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, said last week.

Unesco, perhaps most famous for designating world heritage sites, is a major global development agency whose missions include promoting literacy, science, clean water and education, including sex education and equal treatment for girls and young women.

In the past, many in the United States and in some allied countries viewed the organization as politicized, corrupt and anti-American, antipathy that came to a head in 1984 when President Ronald Reagan withdrew American membership.

The United States rejoined the organization under President George W. Bush after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

American officials criticized the Palestinian application for recognition, part of its bid for full membership in the United Nations, saying they feared it would lead to more conflict with Israel and further undermine the possibility of peace talks.

The vote wasn't particularly close, and that reflects the way that the international organization is gamed by those who have a beef with Israel and use international organizations as a way to go after Israel.

They accepted that vote despite the US responsibility for paying a hefty percentage of the organization's budget (22%).

Israel may itself reconsider its support for UNESCO, which includes designation of world heritage sites and protecting cultural and historical sites. UNESCO designation is also quite politicized, especially relating to sites in Israel and the territories.

Yet, no one takes the Palestinians to task or holds them accountable when they engage in ongoing terrorism. Just days after the prisoner swap for Gilad Shalit was concluded, and after threats were made by Hamas and other terror groups to kidnap more Israelis, the rockets are again slamming into Israel. The latest barrage hit near Ashkelon after being fired from Gaza. Again.

Cease... Fire; Gazan Terrorists Fire Barrages Against Israel

Once again, the Palestinian terror groups in Gaza refuse to accept the plain meaning of the term ceasefire. They only seem to understand the term fire - and have again launched barrages of mortars and rockets at Israel.

10 rockets, mortal shells explode in Ehskol, Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Councils, Asheklon; no injuries; Erez border crossing damaged; 2 Islamic Jihad members killed, Palestinian report says.

A ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza seemed distant Thursday evening as the violence in the south of the country continued with at least 15 rockets and mortar shells exploding in Israeli territory, and Israeli air strikes that reportedly left two Islamic Jihad members dead.

The Code Red siren was heard throughout the Eshkol and Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Councils and in Ashkelon as 15 rockets and mortar shells fell throughout those areas, the IDF Spokesman's Office said in a statement.

There hasn't been so much a lull in the rockets as a pregnant pause because the terrorists are simply trying to coordinate activities among themselves to claim responsibility and to find new ways to blame Israel for a resumption of hostilities that began with the terrorist attack against Israel in Eilat.

Since then, Israel's response has been quite limited, even as more than 100 rockets, mortars, and missiles have been launched towards Israel causing deaths and injuries along the way.

Put another way:
But for the Palestinian terror attack, Israel would not have carried out airstrikes against PRC terrorists.
But for the PRC and Islamic Jihad reprisal attacks for those Israeli airstrikes, Israel would not have carried out further airstrikes.
But for the Gazan missile barrages, Israel would not have carried out still more airstrikes.

Simply put, but for the Palestinian terror attacks, Israel would not have had any reason to carry out defensive measures to eliminate terrorists attacking Israel and there would have been no casualties on either side.

From the Palestinian terrorist perspective, all this comes into sharp relief and focus: But for Israel's existence, we would not need to carry out terror attacks against Israel.

There would be no Palestinian casualties from any kind of Israeli airstrikes had the terrorists not carried out their attacks from the first. All these casualties lay at the feet of the terrorists in PRC, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad and their spinoffs who refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist and refuse to live in peace alongside Israel.

The terrorists further seek to cut off Gaza from the humanitarian aid that flows into Gaza from Israel by firing at the Erez Crossing - leaving the terrorists no one to blame but themselves when the flow of aid slows. It's a strategy they've used in the past - cursing the dark after attacking Israeli power stations and transmission lines that run into Gaza and provide a portion of Gaza's energy needs.

The Gazan Terror War Continues

Despite a purported ceasefire, Israel had no trouble taking out a wanted terrorist in Gaza affiliated with Islamic Jihad who was allegedly involved in funding the Eilat attacks.

The IDF Spokesperson' Office said that the terrorist "was involved in smuggling weapons and sought to advance military operations in Sinai." The army added that "lately there have been several attempts by Gaza terrorists to carry out attacks in Sinai and that was what this operative was involved in."

Several hours after the strike, two mortar shells exploded in the Western Negev causing no injuries or damage.

The offensive prompted a senior member of the organization in Gaza, Ahmad al-Mudallal, to threaten retaliation and declare that "this crime was meant to underline that Israel only understands the language of blood and terror."

"We will take action against the enemy in a language that it understands, the language of blood," he added. "We will not ignore the crimes it commits against our people."

Also overnight, an IAF jet targeted two terrorists in Gaza after they were spotted attempting to fire rockets at southern Israel from two different locations.

Of course, Islamic Jihad had no problems firing new rockets at Israel, and one of the rockets fired at Israel instead landed in Egypt, injuring a woman.

But for the Palestinian terror attack on Eilat, Israel would not be carrying out attacks against those responsible. Israel has shown tremendous restraint in going after the terrorist infrastructure, and Israel has released information showing just how Israel sought to limit any damage to Egyptian security stationed along the border as Israeli forces hunted down the terrorists responsible for the Eilat attacks.

Videos shot from the aircraft show that the troops intentionally diverted fire from the Egyptian all-terrain vehicles and soldiers towards open areas near the border base, from which the terrorist sniper fire originated.

The terrorists, who positioned themselves a few dozen meters from the Egyptian military post, launched an RPG rocket at one of the helicopters, and directed machine gun fire at it.

In addition, an examination of the bodies of the terrorists killed by the IDF clearly showed that at least three of them were Egyptian citizens. One was a member of a radical Egyptian group who was tried in the country.

Mirroring how Hizbullah launched attacks against Israel from within the vicinity of UNIFIL positions so as to result in counterbattery attacks falling on UNIFIL, so too did the Gazan terrorists use the Egyptian forces as human shields.

The terrorists purposefully used the Egyptian positions to attack Israel - firing from within those areas so as to maximize the casualties and potentially bring Israel into a shooting conflict with Egyptian security forces - raising the stakes for all involved.

What the terrorists didn't count on was the tremendous restraint shown by both the Israelis and Egyptian security forces.

Meanwhile, Hamas claims that Israel is fabricating the Eilat terror attacks so as to provide a means for going after Gaza. This is nothing more than propaganda from Hamas, which can't rebut the photographic and video evidence proffered by Israel showing how the terrorists operated, where they came from, and who was involved.

For its part, Egypt is planning on launching a new initiative to destroy the smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Sinai.

Terrorists Continue Rocket Attacks As Israel Retaliates

Dozens of rockets have been fired into Israel over the past 24 hours, and Israel responded for the first time in 24 hours with airstrikes of its own against terrorists firing those weapons. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system has intercepted several of the rockets and missiles fired into Israel, but casualties are rising and so too is the damage:

According to Palestinian reports, two people were injured in the strike. Shortly before the attack, the Popular Resistance Committees' military wing – the Salah a-Din Brigades – claimed it launched two rockets at Israel.

While Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council bore the brunt of Saturday's barrage, Beersheba seemed to be the terrorists' "favorite" Sunday, suffering rocket fire virtually every hour: One of the rockets hit a high school gym, causing severe damage to the building, which luckily was empty at the time.

The terrorists continue firing rockets, including kassams and the more advanced Grad missiles, but some have fallen into Egypt and open areas within Israel.

The strikes came as rocket fire from the Gaza Strip that killed one man over the weekend continued Sunday morning. At least six Grad rockets were fired at Beersheba, one of which hit an empty school building, and at least one of the other Grads was intercepted by the Iron Dome rocket defense system and two landed in the Egyptian city of Rafah. There were no casualties reported in Sunday morning's attacks.

Earlier Sunday morning, four mortar shells landed in the Eshkol Regional Council area and nine rockets were fired at the Ashkelon Regional Council, one of which damaged a building. No injuries were reported in the attacks.

The Iron Dome rocket defense system also successfully intercepted three rockets fired from Gaza in the direction of Ashkelon.

At least two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed in the Egyptian border town of Rafah on Sunday morning, but there was no damage and no one was hurt, an Egyptian security source said.

The source said it appeared the rockets were fired in error.

Since Thursday, more than 100 rockets have been launched at Israel, and that followed the deadly terrorist attack outside Eilat, which killed 7 Israelis. The onus and responsibility for all the carnage that has followed falls entirely on the Palestinian terrorists in Gaza who sought this latest round of fighting.

And once again, it isn't surprising that media outlets have no problem conflating civilian casualties with those of the terrorists responsible for carrying out attacks. It makes Israel appear to be attacking indiscriminately and without regard for civilian casualties, even though the terrorists are the ones who have no regard for any human lives, whether Israeli or Palestinians. The terrorists purposefully hide behind human shields - their fellow Palestinians - because they know if Israel successfully kills terrorists, civilian casualties may well follow and they further know that the media will focus not on the terrorists who were involved in these attacks, but on the civilians. Moreover, the terrorists know that if media outlets see kids injured that will further incite hatred towards Israel.

Yet, several of the rockets that have slammed into Israel have hit yeshivas, homes, and have injured children, including a 9-year old and an infant.

It's all yet another manifestation of the double standard applied to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

And speaking of double standards, it cute how the Arab League blames Israel for escalating the latest violence, when it was on the receiving end of a terror attack that is attributed back to terrorists in Gaza and the terrorists further responded with more than 100 rockets fired at Israel. None of these Arab League countries would ever tolerate any such terror attacks, and none would accept the level of restraint that Israel has shown. After all, in just the past few weeks, Turkey responded to what it called Kurdish terror attacks inside Turkey with a series of airstrikes both inside Turkey and in northern Iraq (another sovereign country). The world yawned at that breach of international peace. The Arab League was silent.

The Arab League ignores the terror attacks against Israel, but focuses on the Israeli response because that's what the Arab League does.

At the same time, Hamas is talking out of both sides of its mouth. It announced it ended the hudna with Israel following Israel's first round of airstrikes following the Eilat attack, but now it wants the UN to take action to thwart Israel's ongoing measures to defend itself from further attacks.

Now, it is possible that Hamas was caught unawares that the PRC was intent upon carrying out attacks and misjudged the swiftness of Israel's response, but Hamas has never ceased in its preparations for renewed conflict with Israel. Its propaganda refuses to recognize Israel's very existence.

Palestinian Terrorists Escalate Rocket Attacks As Israel Again Defends Itself

Palestinian terrorists in Gaza have again launched barrages of rockets against Israel. Each rocket is intended to cause mayhem, injuries, and deaths. They are fired indiscriminately against civilian targets, and more than a few have resulted in serious carnage.

Even with Israel's deployment of the Iron Dome anti-missile system, rockets and missiles have rained down on cities within range of Gaza. Some of those rockets and missiles were intercepted, but others have managed to get through.

Kassams have landed on kibbutzim (and here and here). Grads were fired and hit various locations, including Ashdod. Three people were injured when one of the Grads exploded.

And when the terrorists aren't firing rockets, they're firing mortars.

So, which terrorist groups are firing the rockets, mortars, and missiles? Well, all of them are claiming responsibility. Hamas declared its armistice over with Israel, even though it always considered its hudna to be strategic in nature. The moment the terror group considered itself to be sufficiently armed and capable of attacking Israel, it would do so.

The PRCs and Islamic Jihad also claimed responsibility for attacks.

Each and every one of these terror attacks are crimes against humanity and war crimes under international law, yet the people who twitter about how Israel may have killed civilians ignore that salient point. Those who claim that US law (Leahy law) should prevent military aid to Israel because civilians are killed ignore that the Palestinian Authority would be cut off as well, precisely because the Palestinian Authority is comprised of the terror group Hamas and Fatah, whose spinoffs in the al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade and People's Resistance Committees are regularly engaged in terror attacks against Israel.

Gazans are preaching revenge, even though it was Palestinian terrorists who initiated the latest round of violence by carrying out multiple terror attacks against vehicles near Eilat.



Israel attacks terrorists who surround themselves with human shields, who attempt to smuggle terrorists and arms in and out of Gaza via dozens of smuggling tunnels, and yet Israel is cast as the bad actor here? Israel hasn't occupied Gaza since it unilaterally left the region in 2006. Indeed, Gazans squandered a golden opportunity to build the foundations for a 2-state solution. They took up arms and the moment Israel left, they turned the then-deserted communities into terror training camps and rocket launching zones from which to attack Israel.

Meanwhile, Egypt is considering diplomatic actions against Israel after several Egyptian security forces were killed when those security forces were caught in the line of fire from Israeli airstrikes targeting terrorists. Egyptians are calling it random firing, but the terrorists who attacked the vehicles in Eilat were wearing Egyptian uniforms and Israel believes that the terrorists originated in Gaza and crossed into the Sinai and then into Israel to carry out the attacks.

UPDATE:
Defense Minister Ehud Barak apologized for the deaths of the Egyptian security officers.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Saturday said that "Israel regrets the deaths of Egyptian policemen [killed] during the terror attack on the Israeli-Egyptian border,"Speaking during a security briefing with Chief of General Staff Benny Gantz, Barak said that "the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt is of great importance and strategic value for the stability of the Middle East."
The defense minister was expected to open a military investigation into the deaths of Egyptian forces in the border incident. Later, a joint investigation with the Egyptian military will be launched in order to clarify the circumstances of the incident.

That's a move designed to defuse tensions between Egypt and Israel, and to help keep the security coordination in place between the two countries that have gone a long way to reducing (but not stopping) terror attacks in both countries.


UPDATE:
More than 50 rockets have slammed into Israel in the past 48 hours and Israeli injuries are also increasing:

Sirens were heard in Beersheba shortly before two rockets exploded within the city, hitting a vehicle and private residence. Four people were evacuated to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba to be treated for serious injuries, Channel 2 news reported.

Moments before, a Grad rocket from Gaza landed on a home in Ofakim, starting a fire and sending shrapnel and debris flying that injured a four-month-old baby, a nine-year-old boy, and a man in his early 20s. Emergency crews put out the fire and paramedics evacuated the three to the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba to be treated for light injuries.

After Eilat Terror Attacks, Terrorists Fire Rockets At Israel

On a day when Israelis mourn the loss of eight Israelis killed when terrorists opened fire on a bus and several vehicles near Eilat in Southern Israel, terrorists continue their attacks. 10 Israelis were injured in Ashdod when rockets hit the city within range of Gaza.

Fire from Gaza was renewed Friday afternoon when terrorists fired thee rockets at Be'er Tuvia and Eshkol regional councils. The rockets exploded in open spaces in the regions, and no injuries or damage were reported.

At around 4 pm, residents of Kiryat Malachi, Gedera, Gan Yavne, and other towns nearby reported hearing rocket alerts followed by explosions.

About an hour later a Qassam rocket was fired from Gaza and exploded in Eshkol Regional Council. No injuries or damage were reported.

Effie, a resident of Kiryat Malachi, told Ynet, "I was taking the trash out and there was an alarm. I heard a very loud boom. I realized a rocket must have fallen in the area."

The rockets followed two others, which were fired at Be'er Tuvia on Friday morning. The head of the regional council, Dror Shor, said he had noticed farmers in the area did not respond quickly enough to rocket alerts.

"It was fortunate the rockets fell in open spaces, but it could have ended differently," he said.

Terrorists pelted Israel with rockets throughout the day Friday. A rocket fired at Ashdod at dawn exploded in the courtyard of a haredi yeshiva and left 10 people injured. Magen David Adom emergency services said two men were seriously injured.

Yesterday's attacks were apparently carried out by the PRC, but the PRC is denying involvement. Israeli airstrikes killed the head of the PRC and other terrorists that were linked back to the terror attack, as well as the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit:

The PRC members killed in the retaliatory IAF air strike included the head of the terror group Kamal Nirab, who the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said had personally directed and planned the attack.

Another man killed in the strike was identified as Amas Hamed, commander of the PRC’s military wing and a resident of Rafah. The Shin Bet said that Hamed was involved in the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Schalit in June 2006 and oversaw numerous attacks against Israel including suicide bombings and rocket attacks.

Two other known PRC terrorists, including one who was also involved in Schalit’s abduction, were also killed in the air strike.

“The terrorists were directly involved in the attacks along the Israeli-Egyptian border,” a security official said.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday that the IDF would escalate its response to the attacks. Egypt had lost its grip over Sinai Peninsula and terrorist organizations were able to move around there freely, he said.

That last bit is perhaps the most serious part of the story. Israel and Egypt, while having a cold peace, at least managed to control the borders and limit terrorist movements, but since Mubarak was removed, terrorists have been able to more far more freely than before.

It appears that the PRC terrorists left Gaza to Sinai, and then recrossed into Israel to carry out the attacks on the vehicles.



Some of the terrorists wore Egyptian uniforms and it appears that at least a dozen terrorists were involved in the attacks.

Also, an apparent suicide bomber killed himself and several Egyptian soldiers near the Philadelphi corridor. The bomber is also linked to the PRC. That comes after two Egyptian soldiers were killed when Israeli airstrikes targeting terrorists caught the Egyptian security forces in the line of fire.

Meanwhile, it was six years ago this week that Israel unilaterally disengaged from Gaza and ended its military presence in the territory. Gazans, instead of using the opportunity to build a productive society, instead turned to Hamas and began carrying out incessant terror attacks that continue to this day.

Hamas Celebrates Passover's Start With Kassams

If there's a Jewish holiday to be celebrated in Israel, there's a corresponding threat of Hamas carrying out attacks against Israel. This Passover has been no exception as a kassam rocket was fired from Gaza into Israel.

At the same time, the terror group is trying to put on a shiny face by searching for the murderers involved in killing pro-Palestinian activist Vittorio Arrigoni. Arrigoni was kidnapped, tortured and brutally murdered by an al-Qaeda inspired Salafist terror group who sees even Hamas as being insufficiently Islamist enough for their liking.

Indeed, among those suspected in the murder are a former Hamas operative.

Israel Continues Taking Fire From Gaza

The kassams, Grad missiles, and mortars continue to be fired into Israel from Gaza, and media reports claim that Hamas is backing off an all-out confrontation with Israel and floating a ceasefire/hudna?

If Hamas isn't firing all the rockets and mortars, they certainly are giving a wink and nod to the other terror groups and factions that are - because Hamas has no intention of cracking down against other terror groups unless they pose a direct threat to Hamas' ability to rule with an iron fist in Gaza. The PLFP says that a ceasefire is a dangerous thing for Palestinians, which makes no sense until you realize that the only reason that these terror groups thrive is that they've succeeded in indoctrinating entire generations of Palestinians into refusing to accept a Jewish state of Israel living alongside a Palestinian state. Yet, a hudna would play into the terrorists' hands since they'd use the opportunity to regroup and rearm, just as they've done since Operation Cast Lead. The ceasefires/hudnas have not stopped the violence, but any reduction in fire from Gaza is reported by the international media as a "relative lull" even though the attacks have continued unabated.

No nation on the planet would tolerate such a situation for anywhere near as long as Israel has.

Wouldn't you know it that the moment Israel strikes back hard to defend itself against terrorists, the claims of disproportionate use of force come bubbling to the surface. And once again, Turkish leaders are the ones who are busy touting this nonsense.

Turkey has no problem using force against the PKK, a Kurdish group that claims a region that includes parts of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq as its own. Indeed, one could call that use of force disproportionate, but I don't. It's military force designed to combat and defeat an enemy. In Israel's case, Hamas and other terror groups are entrenched within significant civilian populations with the express purpose of maximizing a body count should Israel return fire.

Hamas and other terror groups fire hundreds of rockets and mortars since the beginning of the year, and each and every one was with the intention of murdering and maiming Israelis and to cause significant property damage. Israel's response has been extremely limited - firing only in significant measure after an anti-tank missile blew up a bus carrying two people - injuring one critically. To go after the terrorists, Israel has carried out airstrikes against terror targets and the smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Sinai.

Those aren't disproportionate.

They are barely sufficient to deter Hamas from further attacks.

And now the Arab League is calling on the UN to impose a no-fly zone on Israel over Gaza. That suggestion comes on the heels of UN efforts in Libya to thwart further human rights abuses by Khadafi against his own countrymen and the Arab League thinks it has hit upon a winning strategy to give Hamas cover in its ongoing war against Israel. Make no doubt about it - Hamas is at war with Israel, and but for Israel's restraint, Hamas continues to exist and acts as a thorn in Israel's side.

None of the Arab League nations would tolerate such acts by a terror group against the regime - not Syria, not Iran, not Saudi Arabia, not the UAE, nor any of the other nations in the League. This is an effort to undermine Israel's right to defend itself from attack.

Terrorists Continue Firing Rockets and Mortars In Israel Day After Deadly Jerusalem Bombing

Terrorists in Gaza have not let up in their efforts to fire rockets and mortars with the purpose of maiming and murdering Israelis or causing significant property damage in Israel. An incessant stream of rockets have hit Israel, and have been at an increasing pace since the beginning of January. That comes a day after a deadly bombing in Jerusalem when a suitcase filled with explosives detonated next to a bus stop killing an Israeli woman and wounding more than 50 people. The Israeli ambassador to the US says that the Gaza mortar and kassam attacks are unrelated to the bombing, which would suggest that the group behind the bus bombing may not be Hamas or Islamic Jihad. That would point the finger at Fatah, al Qaeda, or a splinter group from one of any number of other terror groups.

As a result, Israel has fired back against the terrorist infrastructure - hitting suspected smuggling tunnels and Hamas ammo dumps and weapons factories.

IDF tanks shot into Gaza on Thursday, injuring one man, according to Palestinian sources, following five rockets launched from Gaza into Israel.

The strike came after the IAF struck four targets in Gaza Strip in the early morning, after Palestinians fired about a dozen rockets and mortars across the border, striking deep into Israel.

The tanks were aimed at a Hamas facility in Gaza City, which reportedly burst into flames.

Earlier Thursday, the IAF bombed terrorists that were attempting to shoot rockets into Israel.

Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon said on Thursday that Israel "will not be tolerant of any escalation."

Speaking in the US, Ya'alon said that Israel will not tolerate "terrorist attacks or shooting rockets at our citizens."

He said that the war against terror "requires a long battle, but it will not stop us from taking care of whoever shoots at Israel, as they have in the last few days or sends terrorists to the center of cities."

"Whoever does this will not be immune to a decisive attack," Ya'alon said. "Hamas is responsible for everything that is shot out of Gaza and if it does not take responsibility, it will pay the price."

Since Thursday morning, three Kassam rockets, one Grad missile and a mortar shell were shot into Israel from Gaza. Grad missiles landed in Ashdod and south of Rishon Lezion.

The rocket attacks hitting Ashdod have injured several Israelis, but that gets short shrift in the international press, which instead focuses on Israeli airstrikes and the casualties they inflict.

All the while, the only reason Israel would be carrying out those airstrikes is because Gazan terrorists, including the ruling Hamas, are incessantly attacking Israel at every opportunity and such actions would never be tolerated by any other country on the planet.

At the same time, while the UN and other Palestinian flacks claim that Israel is blocking Gazan and Palestinian educational opportunities because of the blockade, they ignore that Palestinian terrorists routinely target Israeli schools, preschools, and that has forced many to build bomb shelters and attendance has grown sparse because of worries that such schools would again be targeted.

And again, but for Palestinian terror, Israel would not need to enforce a security fence, checkpoints, or a blockade to prevent Hamas and other terror groups from arming themselves for a conflict with Israel with the intention of destroying Israel.

UPDATE:
Reuters attempts to analyze the situation and claims that the latest surge in violence is the result of an internal dispute between factions in Hamas that spilled over and enabled other like-minded terror groups to attack Israel. It supposes that factions within Hamas didn't want to engage in reconciliation talks with Fatah, and a proposed meeting with Fatah's Abbas could be derailed if a judicious use of force against Israel could provoke a limited military response that adversely affected security in Gaza to the point of canceling the meeting.

That kind of pretzel logic is worthy of Rube Goldberg. It is also insightful into how the Palestinians deal with any kind of political challenge - they resort to attacking Israel.

Hamas' problem is that once they took credit, other terror groups began with their own assaults on Israel and that is likely to spiral out of their control. And for Reuters to claim that things have been relatively quiet is factually wrong. Hundreds of rockets and mortars were fired into Israel from Gaza in 2010 - one a day - every day - for 2010. 2011 is shaping up to have even more. Several people were killed and dozens were injured in those attacks.

That's not quiet - not by a long shot.

It's quiet only in that Israel has been restrained in its retaliations for such provocations. The terrorists engage in their triangle offense to avoid retaliation all while perpetuating terror attacks and spreading the anti-Israel ideology.

That should not last.

Yet Another Reason Palestinian-Israeli Peace Talks Wont Succeed

I can sum up the reason that peace talks will not succeed between Israel and the Palestinians in one word. It is also the one word that diplomats, pundits, and the New York Times refuse to recognize trumps anything else, even as they tout the possibility of a breakthrough for a peace deal.

Hamas.

Palestinian Authority municipal elections scheduled for July 9, 2011, will not be held in Gaza until rival Palestinian factions reach a reconciliation agreement, Israel Radio quoted Hamas as saying Tuesday.

Hamas spokesman Fawazi Barhoum said that the elections, announced by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad earlier in the day, have no real value because they were declared by a government that has lost its legitimacy.

According to the report, Barhoum also said that the elections were meant to cover up the WikiLeaks scandals and the "Palestine Papers" released by Al Jazeera that exposed the concessions PA President Mahmoud Abbas was willing to make in peace negotiations with Israel.

Earlier Tuesday, Palestinian Authority Spokesman Ghassan Khatib had said that even if Hamas blocks elections in Gaza, they will still be held only in the West Bank.

The last Palestinian elections were held in 2005, and Hamas won handily in Gaza, and won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Parliament. Fatah and Hamas engaged in a civil war, and Hamas threw Fatah out of Gaza. Fatah has no ability to impose its will on Hamas, and Fatah needs Israel to provide sufficient backing to keep Hamas from overwhelming Fatah's operations.

So, while Fatah's Mahmoud Abbas and other diplomats engage in talks with Israel, Hamas continues to reject any and all deals with Israel.

Hamas rejects Israel's existence.

Hamas sees any deal in the context of a hudna - a truce until such a time when Hamas can fight and defeat Israel at the time and place of its choosing. That's a lose-lose situation for Israel and the Palestinians themselves. So any deal that potentially enlarges Gaza in land-swaps would be giving territory to a regime that is antithetical to Israel's very existence and which has shown no interest in peaceful coexistence.

Moreover, Fatah needs a diplomatic breakthrough and success, but it can't impose any breakthrough because the population has been conditioned to accept nothing less than Israel's destruction. Even news reports that Abbas and his negotiators were making concessions brought out the condemnations from the usual suspects because they were seen as collaborating with Israel to give up Palestinian rights to Jerusalem and accepting a two-state solution.

Meanwhile, Gazan terrorists affiliated with Islamic Jihad continue their ongoing attacks against Israel, firing off four mortars today that slammed into the Negev. Thankfully, there were no injuries but the incident shows Hamas and the other terror groups in Gaza have no interest in peace and that they're going to take advantage of the situation to further their own ideological goals, which do not include coexistence with Israel.

Rockets and Kassams Continue Hitting Israel From Gaza

Despite Hamas' claims that they are trying to stop further attacks, kassams and mortars continue slamming into Israel.

According to the report, Hamas also deployed operatives along the border with Israel in order to maintain control over the Strip.

Palestinian sources quoted by Asharq Alawsat said that representatives from the different Gaza groups refused to commit to a ceasefire with Israel or to prevent retaliation for Israeli actions. They did, however, agree not to initiate an escalation.

On Monday evening, three Kassam rockets were fired into Israeli territory and exploded in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. The rockets fell in an open area and did not cause any injuries or damage.

We've seen a definite uptick in terror attacks against Israel since the beginning of the year no matter what Hamas is saying publicly.

At some point, Israel's government is going to have to deal with the Gazans militarily because the Palestinian terror groups are ratcheting up the attacks without fear of retaliation. When that happens, the propagandists will again claim Israel is the aggressor and that the attacks are somehow disproportionate in the force used.

They will ignore the rocket and mortar attacks that occur incessantly and without end. They will ignore the casualties among those in Israel who have been in range of those attacks. They will ignore that Israel's restraint has limits.

And the Gazan terrorists will have once again mistaken Israel's restraint for weakness as they continue attacking Israel and causing untold misery on their fellow Gazans.

Hamas Warns Fellow Terrorists To Cut Back On Attacks For Fear of Israeli Reprisals

Hamas is concerned that Israel might once again go after Hamas in a serious way. Just a day after terrorists fired barrages of mortars and kassams injuring four people in Israel, Hamas called on their fellow Gazan terror groups to cease and desist.

Hamas's announcement of the talks came as violence on the Israel-Gaza border has escalated in the new year.

Within the first week of 2011, more than 10 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel’s southern communities.

On Saturday four mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip, exploding in a residential area in a kibbutz belonging to the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, wounding three Thai agricultural workers. The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the al-Quds Brigades, took responsibility for the attack, claiming it targeted a military base. At least three Kassam rockets were fired at southern Israel later in the evening, wounding a truck driver lightly.

In response to these attacks, the IDF has struck several terror-related sites in the past week. The Israeli Air Force targeted and hit a terrorist activity center in the northern Gaza Strip as well as a weapons manufacturing facility in the central Gaza Strip, both belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization. In a joint operation between the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the IDF, the IAF also struck one of the Hamas terrorist organization's terror activity centers in the central Gaza Strip and a smuggling tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israel has engaged in limited reprisals thus far - going after Hamas weapons factories and smuggling tunnels.

In 2010, 235 rockets, mortars, and other munitions were fired from Gaza into Israel. That's 4.5 a week. It's completely unacceptable for Israel to endure a single barrage of rockets or mortars and yet Israel has withstood such barrages for years on end with no end in sight. Hamas continues to agitate for Israel's destruction even as it tries to avoid a direct confrontation with Israel until Hamas determines it is time to act. Moreover, Hamas wants to lead such efforts and doesn't want to be dragged into a confrontation with Israel by other terror groups that would put Hamas at a disadvantage.

Israel has shown itself to be quite capable at killing Hamas forces - Operation Cast Lead showed that nearly all those Palestinians killed in the fighting were Hamas operatives - as later admitted by Hamas itself. They aren't about to go into another fight with Israel unless they are well prepared.

Hamas Up To Old Tricks and Israel Responds; With UPDATES

Hamas is once again up to its old tricks as 2010 comes to a close. The terror group has again been attempting attacks against Israel and Israel has wasted no time in responding with airstrikes. Hamas terrorists have fired rockets and mortars into Israel, hitting areas around Ashkelon and Eshkol. Leave it to the Palestinian Authority spokesmen to claim that Israel's response will be detrimental to the peace process:

Erekat stated that the Palestinian Authority fears Israel will launch a new large scale attack on Gaza, following escalated tensions in the area.

The PA negotiator added that military measures will not solve anything and will only make things worse.

On Tuesday, Israel pounded Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip in the most extensive aerial bombardment since Operation Cast Lead two years ago.

At least three Hamas operatives were killed during the bombing of arms storehouses and smuggling tunnels along the border with Egypt, and in the pummeling of tunnels being dug toward Israel.

The IAF strikes came in response to multiple attacks on southern Israel from Gaza.

A Kassam rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip into the Ashkelon area on Tuesday morning, landing in Kibbutz Zikim. The rocket exploded near a kindergarten, as dozens of parents were dropping off their children at school, injuring a 14-year old girl.

The incident followed a spate of attacks emanating from Gaza in the previous days, encompassing the launch of some three rockets and 18 mortars into the regions of Eshkol and Ashkelon. These attacks included the launch of six mortars on Sunday at IDF forces operating near the Kerem Shalom Crossing.

Just ignore the fact that but for the Hamas terror activities, Israel would not have engaged in bombing the Hamas arms caches (which are illegal under the Oslo Accords that call for the disarmament of militias operating in the territories) and various smuggling tunnels being dug across the former Philadelphi corridor.

At least this time the UN Middle East envoy, Robert Serry, says that Israel has a right to defend itself from such attacks. That's progress.

What would signify real progress is that the Palestinians take responsibility for their own culpability and actions that have led to a complete breakdown of whatever negotiations have been ongoing. Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, and Fatah double deals - claiming that they want peace with Israel on the one hand, but then pushes revisionist histories that deny Israel's rights and historic Jewish claims to territories, including the Temple Mount. Fatah and Hamas remain at each other's throats - and Hamas is busy accusing Fatah of torturing its minions (which is rather rich considering that Hamas had no problem tossing Fatah thugs from rooftops when Hamas took over Gaza). Hamas and Fatah can't come to a power sharing agreement so how is it that Israel is supposed to make peace - who exactly are they supposed to make peace with?

The media doesn't get a pass on this either. The rocket and mortar attacks have been going on since this past weekend, and the latest terrorist deaths resulted from Israeli reprisals against those terrorists as they were preparing to fire on Israel. Israel's reprisals are the escalation - ignoring that the rockets fired by the terrorists were being aimed at civilian targets in Israel. Hamas escalates by initiating the attacks, but gets a pass by the media. In fact, those attacks included firing on an Israeli kindergarten class.

Then again, diplomats and former world leaders don't get it either. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair doesn't get it. While saying that he wants Israel to reassure Palestinians that statehood is possible, Blair, like so many other diplomats and pundits, ignores that the Palestinians could have had statehood at any point after 1993 if Palestinian leaders had deemed it in their interest to do so.

Yasir Arafat refused statehood. Indeed, Arafat said that the Palestinian leader who would cede any part of Jerusalem to Israel is not yet born.

Mahmoud Abbas has thus far refused. Palestinians can't even agree on a cohesive voice - Hamas controls Gaza and doesn't acknowledge Israel's right to exist. Fatah controls the West Bank and is willing to accept the status quo since their power structure remains intact and assures a steady flow of foreign aid.

Abbas and Arafat both refused to accept a 2-state solution because it would have meant repudiating decades of standing for nothing but the destruction of Israel as the only acceptable solution. That's still the position of Hamas, and until Hamas ends its control of Gaza, that will not change.

UPDATE:
Abbas is now warning that Israeli aggression threatens the "peace process." Where was Abbas when Hamas and the other terror groups were busy firing the kassams and mortars at Israel. That's the threat to the peace process, not Israel's inalienable right to defend itself from terrorists hell bent on inflicting casualties among Israelis (and anyone else who happens to get hit by the mortars and kassams, including fellow Palestinians, foreign workers, and Israelis of all ages).