Tag Archive for Operation Pillar of Defense

Gaza’s Hamas Gave Israel No Choice but to Strike

Negotiations leading to peace can be realistic with an adversary who shares that goal. But Hamas, whose covenant calls for the slaughter of Jews worldwide, is striving not to join peace talks, but to prevent them.

By MICHAEL B. OREN

 

CRITICS of Israel’s campaign to defend millions of its citizens from deadly Hamas rocket fire claim that it lacks a clear objective. Israel has bombed Gaza in the past, they argue, and received only rockets in return. Is there any logic, much less an end, to the cycle of violence? Can it lead to negotiations and peace?

Such questions can be answered only by going back to the origin of the campaign that we Israelis now call Operation Pillar of Defense. Continue Reading »

Netanyahu: Ground Incursion May be Necessary After All

Responding to criticism on his Facebook page, PM Netanyahu said that ‘next time’ would be different if Hamas doesn’t keep the cease-fire

By David Lev

 

On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that Israel was accepting the U.S.-Egypt brokered cease-fire with Hamas, saying that it would “provide an opportunity for the situation to stabilize and become calmer.” But on his Facebook page Wednesday night, Netanyahu wrote that despite the cease-fire, “it may be necessary for us to conduct a major and harsh military campaign” against Hamas – and if such a campaign would become necessary, Israel would follow through.

Netanyahu was responding to thousands of Facebook commenters who slammed him, along with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, for failing to fully rout Hamas and engage in a ground campaign to destroy the terror group for once and for all. Continue Reading »

The Vatican: “Israel is Baby-Killer”

Not a word of protest was heard from the Vatican all the years Sderot babies were in mortal danger.

12,000 Rockets at Jewish babies brought silence.


Vatican City began noticing the violence last week.

By Giulio Meotti, Italy

 

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Vatican Council for Culture, commenting on the war between Israel and Hamas, delivered a severe attack on the Jewish people: “I think of the ‘massacre of the innocents’. Children are dying in Gaza, their mothers’ shouts is a perennial cry, a universal cry”.

Vatican - Jerusalem

Vatican – Jerusalem – Israel Radio Photo

The Catholic Church high official equated Israel’s operation in Gaza against terror groups with the New Testament story of Herod’s slaughter of Jewish babies in his effort to kill Jesus. Continue Reading »

20 Rockets Fired by Terrorists Since Ceasefire Began

According to ‘Kol Yisrael’, Israel’s national radio, 20 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel since the ceasefire went into effect at 9:00 p.m.

By Elad Benari

 

Gaza’s terrorist rulers marked the ceasefire that went into effect on Wednesday evening by continuing to fire rockets at southern Israel.

According to Kol Yisrael radio’s midnight newscast, 20 rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel since the ceasefire went into effect at 9:00 p.m. Wednesday evening. There were no reports of physical injuries or damages.

Before the ceasefire went into effect, terrorists fired a barrage of 40 rockets at the area, targeting Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Be’er Sheva among other cities. Continue Reading »

Hamas breaks truce as rockets hit south after cease-fire; IDF doesn’t respond

After ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect at 9 pm, Gaza terrorists continue to launch rockets toward Israel

By Ynet reporters

 

Several rockets were launched from Gaza toward south Israel after 9 pm Wednesday, when the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect. The IDF held its fire.

‘IDF has stopped firing’ – Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

Air raid sirens were heard after 9 pm in Eshkol, Sderot and the Hof Ashkelon and Sha’ar Hanegev regional councils. Rockets landed in the Eshkol and Sha’ar Hanegev regional councils, but there were no reports of injury or damage.

Sirens were sounded in Ashdod, Kiryat Malachi and surrounding communities shortly after 10 pm. Continue Reading »

BREAKING NEWS: After 8 day of conflict, ceasfire at 21:00

Egypt FM announces that Israel and Hamas have agreed that a cease-fire will go into effect at 9pm local time.

By REUTERS

 

 

Kamal Amr makes formal announcement of truce in joint press conference with Clinton in Cairo; sources say Israel will not lift Gaza blockade; Netanyahu tells Obama he’s ready to give cease-fire a chance.

Egypt announced on Wednesday that a cease-fire had been reached to end eight days of  fighting between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, starting at 9 p.m.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr made the announcement in a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Continue Reading »

Seeking an end, Israel expected to hold its fire without deal

Despite terror attack in Tel Aviv & massive rocket fire from Gaza, Israel expected to announce it is ceasing attacks.

Jerusalem assumes  gesture will pressure terror groups into entering ceasefire.

By Ron Ben-Yishai

 

Following a week in which hundreds of rockets were fired from Gaza and just hours after a terror attack on a Tel Aviv bus left nearly 30 people injured, Israel is expected to announce that it is holding its fire and ending Operation Pillar of Defense, which began with targeted the killing of top Hamas commander Ahmed Jabari.

Strike in Gaza – Photo: AFP

Officials estimated Wednesday evening that if Israel holds fire, Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Gaza will face heavy pressure to do so as well. Continue Reading »

Op-Ed: This is What Israel Must Do

Will all Israeli leaders continue the same timid & fearful policies that too many have shown when dealing with the U.N, the Obama Administration, the Quartet, & the EU?

By Victor Sharpe

 

Israel must choke off the endless supply of weapons and missiles into Gaza by repossessing the Philadelphi Corridor — the narrow strip of land separating Egypt from the Gaza Strip. It should do this as a most basic but vital military act for its own security and survival. It can still do so while only Hamas rules in the Gaza Strip and should have done so long ago.

Continue Reading »

‘Tear Gaza into Two’ says Naftali Bennett

Habayit Hayehudi chairman harshly criticizes gov’t, says:  a “country that cannot protect its residents is degrading itself in the eyes of the world. A country that protects its residents is respected.

“I think there is weakness of spirit a loss of fighting spirit, Jewish spirit, Zionist spirit on the part of the government.”


By Ynet

 

Amid growing signs of a ceasefire, Habayit Hayehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett harshly criticized the government on Wednesday. “They’ve lost all common sense,” he said on Ynet’s TV studio.

Israel’s political party,Habayit Hayehudi (The Jewish Home) Chairman, Naftali Bennett

The newly-elected chairman called on the government to expand Operation Pillar of Defense and “tear the Gaza Strip into two.” Continue Reading »

Gaza rocket hits house in Be’er Tuviya, none hurt

Terrorist shoot at least 180 rockets Israel in the past 24 hours.

Rocket hits house in Be’er Tuviya, none hurt.

IAF strikes 100 terror targets overnight, kills 31 Gazans

Palestinians report 1 dead in IDF drone strike in Jabaliya.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN, JPOST.COM STAFF

 

Gazan rocket fire at southern Israel resumed on Wednesday morning after a relatively quiet night on the Israeli side.

Smoke rises after IAF strike in Gaza

Smoke rises after IAF strike in Gaza – Photo: Mohammed Salem/Reuters

Terrorists fired 23 rockets at various cities and communities in the South, with one person mildly injured according to Magen David Adom. One rocket hit a house in Be’er Tuviya directly.

Continue Reading »

Gen. Gantz: Carry on attacks as if there are no diplomatic talks

IDF continues to hit Gaza targets but senior officers say most painful blow yet to come.

Bridges struck for first time.

Gaza residents begin to move towards coast.

By Yoav Zitun

 

IDF officials said Wednesday that talk of an imminent ceasefire is irrelevant. Late Tuesday night, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz authorized strikes on dozens of Gaza targets and instructed commanders to “carry on as if there is no diplomatic dialogue.”

Gantz, Barak and Netanyahu – Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO

The Palestinians reported a total of 133 fatalities, half of which they said were civilians.

The IDF is stepping up its assaults on prominent Hamas governmental facilities and hit the internal security ministry, police headquarters and a bank on Tuesday night. Continue Reading »

Worried expatriate workers head to airport’s departure gates

Europeans who sought jobs outside their recession-stricken country, rediscover the charms of home.

 

Missile attacks in the south and center have upset plans by several companies and institutions that were counting on foreign experts and commercial representatives who are here on long-term contracts.

Heading for the exit from Israel at Ben Gurion Airport.

Heading for the exit from Israel at Ben Gurion Airport. Photo: Nir Keidar

Einat Gez, manager of Relocation Jobs, a company that brings in highly qualified foreign workers, estimates that out of 5,000 experts and employees of foreign companies in the country, 200 had left by the end of last week. Continue Reading »

Salafists take responsibility for firing rockets into Israeli cities

Gaza Salafists groups, opposed to Hamas, admit firing rockets into Israel.

In its statement Jaish al- Ummah, whose name means “Army of the Nation,” says Muslims are called to jihad to confront the infidels America & Israel as well as those who follow them.

 

 

Gaza-based Salafist-Jihadists with ties to al-Qaida have claimed responsibility for perpetrating several of the recent rocket attacks against Israel, according to statements published by several jihadist groups in the past days.

Army of Islam terrorists in Gaza [file photo]

Army of Islam terrorists in Gaza – Photo: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters

The Gaza-based jihadi group Jaish al-Ummah published two statements on jihadist forums on Monday claiming responsibility for a series of attacks against Israel.

Continue Reading »

With no truce reached, it’s an intensive night as IDF pounds Gaza

Diplomatic pressure to end conflict between Israel & Gaza moves forward but fails to secure ceasefire agreement

Clinton arrives in Israel, calls for ‘durable outcome’ to violence.

IDF intensifies strikes on Hamas & Associates

Yoav Zitun, AP

 

A diplomatic push to end the hostilities between Israel and Gaza terror groups gained momentum Tuesday, with Egypt‘s president predicting that airstrikes would soon end, the US secretary of state racing to the region and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the Jewish state would be a “willing partner” to a ceasefire with Hamas.

IDF artillery fire – Photo: AFP

As international diplomats worked to cement a deal, a senior Hamas official said an agreement was close even as relentless airstrikes and rocket attacks between the two sides continued. Continue Reading »

Without trial Hamas thugs executes 6 suspected Israel collaborators

Masked Hamas gunmen publicly kill 6 men suspected of working with Israel, then drag 1 through the streets while screaming ‘Spy!, Spy!

 

 

Masked gunmen publicly shot dead six suspected collaborators with Israel in a large Gaza City intersection Tuesday, witnesses said. An Associated Press reporter saw a large mob surrounding five of the bloodied corpses shortly after the killing.Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility.

Palestinian gunmen drag suspected collaborator

Palestinian gunmen drag the body of a man suspected of working for Israel in Gaza City, Nov. 20, 2012. – Photo by Reuters

Some in the crowd stomped and spit on the bodies. Continue Reading »