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Israel Steps Up Murder Of Palestinian Citizens Printer friendly page Print This
By Edmund Russell
Alternative Information Center
Tuesday, Jul 8, 2014

Last night, the Israeli cabinet ordered a 'phased escalation' in Gaza and commenced this new offensive, codenamed Operation Protective Edge. This continues the ruthless airstrikes on the Gazan enclave, taking Israel near to its third major operation in the isolated Palestinian Strip in six years.

The operation comes after weeks of public criticism of PM Benjamin Netanyahu by his cabinet colleagues led by Avigdor Lieberman, who yesterday severed the 18-month-old unity pact between his party, Yisrael Beiteinu, and the Prime Minister's Likud party. Netanyahu's response to the kidnapping and murder of the three Israelis has been considered too moderate by many in Israel, despite the collective punishment of the last few weeks having seen 2,200 Palestinian homes raided, over 400 Palestinians arrested and at least nine Palestinians killed. MK Ayelet Shaked, an influential figure in the Knesset, was among the many calling for an even more aggressive response, as she published a call  for genocide of the Palestinian people.

Many in the Israeli cabinet were calling for a large scale invasion of Gaza, but thus far Netanyahu has managed to prevent his warmongering cabinet from a full incursion. As the war of rockets waged on yesterday between militants in the Gaza Strip and Israeli forces, the Israeli army announced over Twitter the initiation of the new operation. Yesterday evening 1,500 reservists were called up and earlier today several thousand more were being prepared for mobilisation. Compared to the mobilisation of 50,000 in 2012 for Operation Pillar of Defence, these are small numbers, but it is an indication that this phased escalation could be considerable. Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, tweeted late last night that the army had commenced an operation targeting Hamas.

In response to the announcement, the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, posted a message on its dormant Twitter account saying that Israel should expect heavy casualties were it to escalate operations in Gaza - "The Zionist enemy should expect that its next war in Gaza will give the name 'a pleasant stroll' to the previous wars, because its losses will be beyond expectations."

Israeli naval and air forces struck 50 targets in the Gaza strip late yesterday night and early this morning, marking the beginning of what a senior army sourced promised would be a protracted offensive. "We are only at the start," he said, "Patience is required. We are preparing further steps and a gradual expansion of our order of battle," referring to the growing number of Israeli forces stationed on the Gaza border.

Strikes included 18 underground rocket launchers, dozens of homes belonging to Hamas members, three Hamas command and control centres and other elements of militant infrastructure. Most targets were affiliated with Hamas, whose recent unity pact with Fatah has angered Israel, but other militant groups were also targeted. For the first time in the latest rocket exchanges, Islamic Jihad is claiming responsibility for rocket fired on Ashdod and Ashkelon on Tuesday morning, declaring it had launched 60 rockets in the past few days.

Palestinians officials said that Gaza was prepared for further Israeli attacks, having evacuated likely targets and placed key leaders in underground hiding in case of targeted assassinations. Hamas warned in a statement that "national unity requires paying a price", calling on the Palestinian Authority to take action against Israel, as strikes were reported all over the Gaza Strip, both in civilian areas and against militant targets.

Elsewhere within Israel in Palestinian and so-called 'mixed cities', the Palestinian uprisings continued in what is being called varyingly the Third, Iftar, or Al Aqsa Intifada, protesting in part against the brutal slaying of the Palestinian teenager Mohamed Abu Khdeir, and the savage beating of Mohamed's cousin Tariq.

Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon says the army has destroyed dozens of Hamas assets over the past hours and that the military is continuing its offensive “in a manner that will exact a very heavy price from Hamas.” He repeated that Israel will not tolerate rocket attacks on civilian areas, and will continue its response, "using all of the means at our disposal to strike Hamas."


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