Hamas reeling but defiant as Israel pounds Gaza

Reuters ^ | Nov 14, 2012 | Dan Williams

[mdittmar]

Israel exchanged the fiercest fire with Hamas in years after assassinating its military mastermind and threatening a wider offensive in the Gaza Strip to stem Palestinian rocket salvoes.

Launched on Wednesday during a deceptive lull in almost a week of surging cross-border violence, Israel's air assault had an intensity recalling the outset of the 2008-09 Gaza war though this time the Palestinian death toll of 10 was far lower.

Hamas, reeling at the strategic loss of top commander Ahmed al-Jaabari in a devastating strike on his car, resumed rocket attacks against the Jewish state's desert south. [ID:nL5E8MECZ2] On either side of the frontier, people fled streets for cover.

Israeli police said more than 80 rockets and mortars were fired in from Gaza after Jaabari's death. Israel's military said its Iron Dome interceptor had shot down 27 of the missiles.

Expecting days or more of fighting, Israel warned Hamas all its men were in its sights and weathered censure from influential Arab powers Egypt and Qatar. The United States condemned Hamas, shunned by the West as an obstacle to peace.

"Today we relayed a clear message to the Hamas organization and other terrorist organizations," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a rightist whom opinion polls favor for reelection in a January 22 ballot, said in televised statement

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[GladesGuru]

Those with accumulated genetic deficits consequent to 1,400 years of first cousin marriages are ill advised to start wars with those who dwell in the other end of the gene pool.

[fella]

Israel should use their remote controlled D-9 armored bulldozers to clear everything back for one kilometer inside the Gaza border and declare it a free-fire zone and no more workers from there into Isreal.

What I call the D9 solution.

[VeniVidiVici]

I’m sure Israel would find some Hamas in D.C. if they would only look there.

[Slings and Arrows]

Nice how Reuters doesn’t mention the 100+ rockets fired at Israel in the week before they took out the Hamashole. Make’s Israel’s attack look unprovoked.