Hamas Ramps Up Rocket Attacks
Israel is again on edge after a spate of rocket attacks launched from the Gaza Strip. Will the international community prevent Israel from defending itself?
On the 2nd Anniversary of the Gaza War, the Israel-Gaza border is again on edge following a spate of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip over the past two weeks. One rocket landed near a kindergarten in Ashkelon Israel, wounding a girl on her way to school and injuring two other people. In response, the Israeli Defence Forces struck eight targets in Gaza, including a Hamas training camp and a tunnel used for smuggling weapons.
However, in what can only be described as the theatre of the absurd, the Palestinian Authority has warned Israel against launching an attack on the Gaza Strip, while Hamas announced they will file a U.N. complaint against 'Zionist aggression.'
In a statement today, the U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, said:
I condemn the firing of indiscriminate mortars and rockets by militant groups in Gaza at Israel, which has escalated in recent days. These attacks are in clear violation of international humanitarian law and endanger civilians in Israel.
Serry reiterated that:
Israel has a right to self-defence consistent with international humanitarian law.
However, apparently not everyone believes Israel has a right to self-defense, with PA President Mahmoud Abbas saying:
any new Israeli aggression would put the entire peace process in real danger.
Oh really? How about rockets attacks from the Gaza Strip aimed at Israeli kindergartens jeopardizing whatever crumbs may be left of the peace process? Does President Abbas – or anyone for that matter (with the exception of maybe Hamas) – honestly expect Israel to remain silent while rockets target their children?
This year has already seen more than 200 rockets and mortars fired into southern Israel from Gaza. That means that, on average, Southern Israel has not enjoyed more than two days in a row without a rocket attack from Gaza.
In the 4 years between Israel’s disengagement from Gaza and Operation Cast Lead, Hamas fired some 8,000 rockets and mortars before Israel took any action. Today, those rockets, which are expanding in reach and damage – courtesy of Iran – are in reach of almost 1 million Israelis. No government can tolerate rockets fired at its civilians, let alone children and kindergartens.
In the coming days and week, the U.N. Security Council will likely have before it, two competing resolutions – one from Israel, seeking a “clear and resolute message that these attacks are unacceptable” and the other from Hamas, or on its behalf. Indeed, eyes will firmly be focused on the U.N. to ensure that this theatre of the absurd does not continue any longer, lest the region spills into another all-out war.
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