“israel” DOES NOT HAVE NOR EVER HAD “THE RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF”. It’s always been irrefutably simple: For 75yrs & counting, “israel” is an illegal brutal zionist terrorist colonial-settler oppressor occupation project on the lands of historic Palestine.

International Law is absolutely and resolutely clear: The ILLEGALLY OPPRESSED, OCCUPIED and DOMINATED PEOPLES across the world, have the ABSOLUTE and INCONTROVERTIBLE RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES, THEIR PEOPLES & THEIR HOMELAND AGAINST THEIR COLONIAL OCCUPIERS BY ALL AVAILABLE MEANS, INCLUDING ARMED STRUGGLE.

“israel” & The Myth of “Self Defense”

https://youtu.be/GNqilIwiqAM?si=ImrLW3LZfuarZxgz

Just a random thought, but when was the last time Palestinians in Gaza, or the West Bank, or anywhere in illegally occupied Palestine, had a concert performed by a foreign artist or band? When was the last time Palestinians had a “music festival”, much less a “vibrant outdoor trance music festival”, on their own homeland illegally occupied by the Ashkenazi dominated zionist terrorist colonial-settler oppressor occupation unilaterally calling itself “israel”? Well, actually NEVER.

The illegal brutal occupation, which up until 7th Oct 2023 had already murdered 250 Palestinians, mostly children and young people, for the year 2023. The Ashkenazi dominated zionist terrorist oppressor occupation had executed numerous violent and deadly raids upon PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMPS this year alone. STOP! Let that sink in for a moment! For 75yrs and counting, the indigenous semitic peoples of Palestine, who were not murdered by the invading zio-terrorists’ GENOCIDAL ETHNIC CLEANSING CAMPAIGN in 1946-1948, but refused to or couldn’t escape into the global Palestinian diaspora, EXIST in UNINHABITABLE GAZA or in REFUGEE CAMPS in the WEST BANK on THEIR OWN HOMELAND.

The illegal occupation’s #WarCrimes and #CrimesAgainstHumanity carried out upon Palestinians are 24/7. Its laundry list of war crimes and crimes against humanity is over 75yrs long and continues to be written.

Its “IDF” and “police” executed vicious attacks upon worshipping Palestinians in Al Aqsa mosque this year alone, its thousands of illegal crazy murderous settlers assisted and encouraged by the “IDF” executed repulsive desecration upon the holy Al Aqsa mosque and compound; its illegal crazy murderous settlers brutally attacked Palestinian civilians, murdering with impunity, destroying homes and businesses, setting buildings on fire this year alone; its evil insane far-right government dominated and controlled by its white Eastern European descendants of its “founding fathers” calls for the genocidal extermination of the indigenous semitic Palestinians.

On the weekend of 7th Oct 2023, and the day Operation Al Aqsa Flood was commenced, the illegal occupation’s arrogant and pompous display of power by putting on its “vibrant trance music festival” barely 1.2 miles away from besieged Gaza’s doorstep was another unforgivable and unspeakable act of ultimately pure evil and cruel provocation towards its dispossessed and brutally oppressed Palestinian hostages.

GENEVA (13 October 2023) – A UN expert today demanded that Israel immediately rescind its order for 1.1 million Palestinians to leave northern Gaza within 24 hours, condemning the evacuation order as a crime against humanity and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/israel-must-rescind-evacuation-order-northern-gaza-and-comply-international

The “birth” of Christian Zionism allegedly goes as far back as the 1st century. The Ashkenazi dominated zionist colonial-settler oppressor occupation project was initiated over a hundred years ago, way before Hitler and WWII. The idea of it planted by Christian zionists and blossomed several centuries ago. Theodor Herzl was not the founder of zionism itself. Christian zionism was around long before Eastern European Ashkenazi so-called “Jews” manipulated it into their political ideology exploiting Judaism as their justification to invade, dispossess and colonize the indigenous semitic peoples of Palestine, who’ve lived on and worked the lands of their historic homeland for thousands of years.

To be absolutely clear, Palestinians are Muslims, Christians and Jews who lived side by side in Palestine in harmony, in mutual respect and tolerance, even friendship for centuries.

Palestinians have tried for 75yrs to peacefully resist their illegal brutal occupier. Over the decades, Palestinians tried to accept so-called diplomatic “peaceful resolutions” often arranged without their consent nor participation. Palestinians even considered the “two-state solution”, which cautiously gave them a minute glimmer of hope. However, the fact always was and is, the Ashkenazi dominated zionist colonial-settler oppressor occupation, reigned over by white Eastern European Ashkenazi zionist terrorists, demands to dominate all of Palestine and turn it entirely into the illegal “state of israel”. They never had any “peaceful” interest much less any “peaceful” intention but to ethnically cleanse Palestine of its indigenous semitic peoples by systematic genocide, relentless dispossession, brutal raids, brutal checkpoints, murders with impunity and absolute domination of every aspect of Palestinians’ lives from their water, infrastructure, electricity, food, medical, educational, trade, farming, fishing, and to ensure absolute tyranny to eradicate any thoughts of simple autonomy and self-determination from the moment they initiated their illegal colonial-settler zionist project.

Therefore, the simple conclusion is this: “israel” is an illegal zionist terrorist colonial-settler oppressor occupation project sustained, supported and funded by western imperialism. US empire’s taxpayers hand the Ashkenazi zionists at minimum $3.8 billion “military aid” annually. Then there are the reparations and other “perks” Germany pays the Ashkenazi occupation to date. The illegal occupation illegally occupying Palestine has one of the most technologically sophisticated military in the world. The illegal colonial-settler occupation has the fire power of air and sea defense. Palestinians have not and never had any of that to date. Yet, these Ashkenazi dominated zionist terrorists play the victim each time the brave, determined and humbling courageous Palestinians fight back against their brutal oppressors. Every time as payback to Palestinians’ resistance, the illegal occupation justifies their war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians barely exisitng in the world’s largest open-air prison by bombing Gaza back into the dark ages where she’s been for decades and ruthlessly callously murder thousands of defenceless Palestinian civilians from men and women to hundreds of children.

The illegal occupation has no “civilians”. They all are zionist colonial-settlers knowingly squatting illegally on the stolen lands of historic Palestine.

It is impossible to express in mere words the pure evil, appalling brutality and vindictive crimes executed by the Ashkenazi zionist occupation against the defenceless Palestinian population over the past 75yrs and counting. Their hatred and conditioned sinister mindset against the innocent Palestinians is incomprehensible. What is, however, unquestionably clear is that the zionist scum always was and always is determined to ethnically cleanse Palestine of her indigenous semitic peoples. Absolutely and entirely.

Over the past century, every Palestinian family has lost loved ones murdered by the Ashkenazi zionist terrorists in unimaginable horrific violence. Most, if not all, have experienced systematic genocide of loved ones carried out by the illegal occupation numerous times.

A criminal entity like the Ashkenazi zionist terrorists would never have had the opportunity to initiate their crimes of terrorism nor implement their occupation of tyranny to dominate any “western” society much less an entire nation.

The illegal occupation are terrified and paranoid of the righteous indigenous Palestinians to the extreme. The zionist terrorists bomb Gaza at whim or the slightest imagined sign of Palestinian resistance, i.e. peaceful protests against their brutal oppressor. The occupation perform nighttime raids on Palestinians’ homes abducting hundreds of children annually whom they imprison, forbidding contact with their families and legal representation. The children are brutally abused in the occupier’s illegal “prisons”. Imprisoned Palestinian children are hauled before the zionist terrorists’ “military court”, without legal representation and imprisoned for months, mostly without any contact with their families. Think about this. 75yrs and counting.

Every fucking day, Ashkenazi zionists force Palestinians to wait up to interminable hours at countless checkpoints to get from one point to another within their homeland. A distance that can be a short walk turned into an all-day affair. Ntm, the zio-slav-scum often enjoy refusing Palestinians to get through their infernal checkpoints.

The illegal Ashkenazi dominated zionist colonial-settlers oppressor occupation illegally occupying Palestine 75yrs and counting have mastered and excel at the art of egregious humiliation, reprehensible disrespect, repulsive degradation and evil malice against the Palestinian People 24/7.

To add a bit more historic facts to the manufacturing of the Ashkenazi zionist terrorists eventually to illegally occupy Palestine, it is definitely not well known within the public realm that before WWII, the Ashkenazi zionists were a group of terrorists busily planning and executing terrorist attacks and assassinations of British officers during the empire’s “British Mandate” in Palestine. The Ashkenazi zionist terrorists were the biggest terrorism threat to the British empire at the time. However, the zionist terrorists assassinated anyone voicing disagreement or absolute refusal against accepting the Ashkenazi zionist terrorists and their plans to illegally invade and colonize Palestine, including Jews. Judaism is not Zionism.

Jewish resistance to the British mandate had begun before the Second World War when Jews extremists set up an organization called, ‘Irgun Zvia Leumi’ (IZL) or simply, ‘The Irgun’. Their aim was to campaign for the establishment of the state of Israel.

https://britains-smallwars.com/campaigns/palestine/page.php?art_url=kidnap

So, call Hamas a “terrorist organisation”. Call their flawlessly executed Operation Al Aqsa Flood an “act of terrorism”. I doubt they care. They don’t expect anything less as the world abandoned Palestine over 75yrs ago and counting.

We who staunchly stand with Palestinians knew there was no doubt, when the moment was upon Palestine to fight with all her might to free herself and her peoples from the brutal illegal Ashkenazi dominated zionist occupation, it would be unprecedented. We can never imagine the horror, loss, agony and heartbreak of the Palestinian suffering 75yrs and counting. We can never imagine their terror and loss this past week to date.

The most humbling fact and truth about the Palestinian Peoples is that they are truly a rare gem of unwavering and enduring determination, persistence, strength, courage, faith and love, because they always knew. They have nothing but their precious lives to lose, and they rather sacrifice their precious lives fighting to free their beloved homeland than continue existing under the brutal domination of the illegal Ashkenazi zionist occupation, which even controls their daily diet and calorie intake by barely keeping them alive.

My heart is with #Palestinians. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, always. #ForeverPalestine🇵🇸♥️

In solidarity, WCI 🇵🇸

#ALAQSAFLOOD #ALAQSASTORM: Whatever the outcome to crush the illegal 75yr-long zionist occupation, #Palestine’s #FreedomFighters, their #Lions, have WON! AGAIN!

The illegal Ashkenazi dominated zionist terrorist colonial-settler oppressor occupation unilaterally calling itself “israel” NEVER SAW IT COMING!

Because in their unprecedented conceit, unparalleled arrogance and misplaced superiority in their technology and weaponry, they chose to ignore PALESTINE’S WARNINGS. Because Palestinians are at best secondary humans of limited intelligence. Because the Ashkenazi dominated zio-terrorists are too exceptional to worry about blowback. To worry about the enduring, if not undying, resistance of a righteous peoples ILLEGALLY DISPOSSESSED and BRUTALLY OCCUPIED 75yrs and counting.

US empire’s colonial-settler project and $3.8++++ BILLION annual US taxpayer funded military terrorist entity illegally occupying #Palestine was OUTFOXED AGAIN! No doubt currently enjoying their SPECTACULAR FAILURE AND HUMILIATING PR NIGHTMARE on the world stage. Attempting to cover their superb failure by bombing the shit out of what is left of #Gaza and murdering hundreds of Palestinians who have nowhere to hide nor run for protection, in addition to the over 200 Palestinians callously murdered by the zio-terrorists with impunity to date in 2023.

On the early morning of Saturday 7th Oct 2023, Hamas #FreedomFighters, aka #Palestine’s #Lions, commenced their greatest operation for freedom,  #ALAQSAFLOOD #ALAQSASTORM, in decades: A stratagem of military precision superbly planned and meticulously organised, logistically choreographed and magnificently coordinated in absolute secrecy, with minimal technology, equipment and weapons, against the technologically advanced, superior equipped & weaponized illegal military of the illegal Ashkenazi dominated zionist colonial-settler oppressor occupation of 75yrs and counting occupying their homeland #Palestine🇵🇸!

#ALAQSAFLOOD #ALAQSASTORM meticulous stratagem rivals any ancient Roman empire’s military operation. It makes a laughingstock of #Ukraine’s pathetic so-called military operations, who, like the illegal Ashkenazi dominated zionist apartheid occupation, have been and continue to be funded by US empire and its subservient NATO vassals’ taxpayers with billions of $ & £ “military aid”, technology, equipment and superior weapons. Yet it’s crystal that Ukraine’s Nazis would never hold a candle to #Palestine’s #FreedomFighters.

We, who unequivocally stand with #Palestinians to rid themselves of their illegal colonial zionist project occupation once and for all, are immensely elated, immeasurably proud and unspeakably heartbroken. We know, as we are only too painfully aware all Palestinians know, this is the ultimate endgame.

It must be highly emphasised that this fight for survival and freedom was forced upon Palestinians 75yrs ago and counting. Their lives are beyond unimaginable. They have minimal electricity controlled by the zio-terrorist occupation, a failing health system and education system due to relentless attacks by the zio-terrorists obliterating hospitals, medical centres and schools. Their drinking water is nonexistent, because it may as well be sewer water. Gaza is not fit for human life. Their infrastructure is nonexistent, and what little may exist is systematically destroyed by zio-terrorist attacks. They experience random raids on their homes by illegal zio-terrorist police and IOF 24/7. Children are abducted during zio-terrorist illegal night raids. Children are illegally imprisoned, forbidden legal assistance as well as contact with families. Palestine’s joblessness is rampant. The zio-terrorist have destroyed thousands of olive trees and other crops worked for trade and export. #Palestine’s fishermen have been forced out of their fishing areas. Imports and exports are almost nonexistent in Palestine.

Palestinians are forced DAILY to endure countless ILLEGALLY “MILITARY POLICED” CHECKPOINTS WITHIN THEIR HOMELAND, often refused to get through from one point to another. The Ashkenazi dominated zionist colonial oppressor occupation have mastered the art of absolute humiliation and helplessness of the Palestinian peoples. They are an evil that must be annihilated once and for all.

Leaders across the globe, even those not yet enjoying “normal relations” with the illegal zio-terrorist occupation in #Palestine, know fully well the illegal #Ashkenazi dominated #zionist #terrorist #colonial-settler #oppressor #occupation was unsustainable, despite the annual billions US empire’s taxpayers pour into it, ntm the reparations and immense “perks” Germany pays to the Ashkenazi oppressor occupation to date.

It must be highly emphasised that the deaths of so-called “CIVILIANS” of the illegal occupation are unfortunate, however, these people are illegal colonial-settlers or descendants of illegal colonial-settlers. They are hardly innocent of their involvement and support of the Ashkenazi dominated zionist colonial oppressor occupation. They are the illegal zionist colonial-settler occupation. Therefore, they are legitimate targets, as these illegal white European settlers “CIVILIANS” were warned numerous times to go back to their homelands in the US, Ukraine and Russia, including the UK etc.

It must also be highly emphasised that thousands of these illegal zio-terrorist settlers “CIVILIANS” have invaded the magnificent #AlAqsa compound, vandalised this beautiful ancient mosque, as well as attacked and injured Palestinian as well as other Muslim worshippers numerous times this year alone.

It must be highly emphasised that these illegal zio-terrorist occupation colonial-settlers “CIVILIANS” have bullied, harassed and attacked #Palestinian CHRISTIANS as well as VISITING CHRISTIANS during celebrations in JERUSALEM only this year.

It must be emphasised that thousands of these zionist colonial-settler “CIVILIANS” attacked PALESTINIAN HOMES AND SET THEM ON FIRE. DESTROYING ENTIRE COMMUNITIES. These same “CIVILIANS” have tortured and murdered defenceless #PALESTINIANS with impunity this year alone.

The zio-terrorist occupation’s colonial-settlers “CIVILIANS” are violent and brutally hateful, uneducated racists and murderers, who have no rhyme, no reason much less any RIGHT to ILLEGALLY OCCUPY PALESTINE. These racist scumbags must be incarcerated.

So NO ONE dare diminish, downplay or marginalise the PALESTINIANS’ RIGHT TO RESIST THEIR ILLEGAL OPPRESSOR OCCUPATION after 75yrs and counting AND DEFEND THEIR RIGHTS, THEIR LIVES AND TAKE BACK THEIR HOMELAND BY ANY AND ALL MEANS NECESSARY!

This is their moment. Fight for life and free their ancient homeland from the greedy white European zio-terrorist colonial-settlers or accept existence under the illegal Ashkenazi zionist oppressor occupation of DISPOSSESSION, JOBLESSNESS, HUNGER, POISONOUS DRINKING WATER, NONEXISTENT INFRASTRUCTURE, NEGLECTED MEDICAL SYSTEM, KIDNAPPINGS, IMPRISONMENTS, TORTURE and GENOCIDAL MURDERS WITH IMPUNITY 24/7, 75YRS AND COUNTING. Ntm, BULLYING AND HUMILIATION 24-FUCKING-7. ALL #CRIMESAGAINSTHUMANITY AND #WARCRIMES CARRIED OUT BY THE ILLEGAL ASHKENAZI DOMINATED ZIONIST TERRORIST COLONIAL-SETTLER OPPRESSOR OCCUPATION AGAINST PALESTINIANS, YOUNG AND OLD, EVERY FUCKING DAY AND NIGHT.

Blowback is a bitch. #PALESTINIAN🇵🇸 #FREEDOMFIGHTERS🇵🇸 PLANNED #ALAQSAFLOOD🇵🇸❤️ #ALAQSASTORM🇵🇸❤️ IN ABSOLUTE QUIET AND SECRECY WITH MINIMAL TECHNOLOGY AND WEAPONS BECAUSE NO ONE IN THE SPINELESS WEST NOR THE  ENSLAVED TO US EMPIRE UNITED NATIONS EVER HELPED #PALESTINIANS🇵🇸❤️‼️
#PALESTINIAN🇵🇸 #FREEDOMFIGHTERS🇵🇸 OUTSMARTED THEIR ILLEGAL ZIO-TERRORIST OPPRESSOR OCCUPIERS, WHO RECEIVE $3.8++++ BILLION ANNUALLY FROM US TAXPAYERS IN “MILITARY AID” 😂😂,; EQUIPPING THE MURDERING VERMIN ZIO-TERRORIST COLONIAL OPPRESSOR OCCUPIERS WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND WEAPONS‼️😂
Being  occupied by the #PALESTINIAN🇵🇸 OCCUPIED.  How does it feel now the shoe is on the other foot, eh Ashkenazi dominated zionist colonial oppressor⁉️ How does it feel walking in the shoes of the INNOCENT OCCUPIED PEOPLES YOU, WHITE EUROPEAN ASHKENAZI DOMINATED ZIO-TERRORISTS HAVE ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED, OPPRESSED, IMPRISONED, TORTURED AND MURDERED WITH IMPUNITY FOR 75YRS AND COUNTING IN THEIR HOMELAND #PALESTINE🇵🇸 ‼️ ⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️
FUCK YOU ILLEGAL ASHKENAZI DOMINATED ZIO-TERRORIST COLONIAL-SETTLERS OPPRESSOR OCCUPIERS ALL TO HELL ‼️ YOU WERE WARNED‼️YOU SHOULD HAVE PACKED UP AND CRAWLED BACK TO YOUR EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES PREDOMINANTLY UKRAINE AND RUSSIA YOU COME FROM, YOU DESPICABLE SCUM OF HUMANITY ‼️

Lola Daisy on YouTube 8th Oct 2023

Apologies for any typos and sharing an emotional comment made on YouTube. Thank goodness I don’t have to sound like Reuters et al.

My integrity and absolute love for PALESTINE🇵🇸❤️ is irreproachable.

I demand Palestine’s freedom. I demand the end of the illegal unsustainable Ashkenazi dominated zionist colonial oppressor occupation. I demand Palestinians vote for their bona-fide president. I demand because I so very much wish for Palestine to one day be the wonderfully beautiful and thriving little historical gem it was before.

Thank you for reading. In solidarity, WCI 🇵🇸

IMEU: Eilat Attacks and Escalation in Gaza

FOREVER! Gaza in our hearts!

INSTITUTE FOR MIDDLE EAST UNDERSTANDING
IMEU ~ 21 August 2011

In Gaza City on August 20, 2011 ~ murdered by Israel

A deadly three-pronged attack by unidentified gunmen on Israeli soldiers and civilians near the Red Sea resort town of Eilat on Thursday triggered a serious escalation in violence, with Israel launching three nights of air raids on the Gaza Strip.Following the attacks, Israeli forces also pursued the attackers into Egypt, where Egyptian security officers were shot dead, sparking a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

Prior attacks

Even before Thursday’s attack, Israel carried out a series of deadly military actions in Gaza last week.Early on Tuesday 16 August, Israeli warplanes launched an airstrike that killed a 29-year-old Palestinian man. The Israeli military said the strike was in response to a rocket from Gaza that caused no damage or injuries.In a separate incident later on Tuesday, Israeli troops shot dead a teenager near Gaza’s boundary with Israel. Palestinian medical officials said the teen was shot more than 10 times.

Triple strike

According to Britain’s Guardian newspaper, six Israeli civilians and one soldier were killed during Thursday’s triple attack.In the first incident, men following a public bus opened fire with Kalashnikov assault rifles. The attack took place on Israel’s Highway 12, about 12 miles north of the city of Eilat.

In the second incident, an Israeli military vehicle several miles away was hit by a roadside bomb, while mortars were fired at workers building a fence along Israel’s border with Egypt.

The third incident was a gun battle between Israeli forces and militants. According to the UN peacekeeping force in the Sinai, Israeli forces pursued the gunmen across the Egyptian border, and an Israeli helicopter fired on Egyptian security officers, killing at least three of them.

Gaza blamed

Israeli officials immediately blamed the attacks on Palestinian armed groups from Gaza, claiming the gunmen crossed into the Sinai Peninsula through tunnels from Gaza, and then infiltrated Israel.

“This is not speculation, not conjecture, not joining the dots. They are sure these terrorists left Gaza,” said Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev.

In the first Israeli airstrike following the Eilat attacks, Israel targeted the leadership of the Popular Resistance Committees, a secretive armed group in Gaza. According to the Palestinian news agency Maan, the strike hit the home of official Khaled Shaath, who was killed instantly. His two-year-old son Malek later died of injuries sustained in the strike.

The raid, in the city of Rafah, killed four other men reported to be senior members of the PRC.

Following the bombardment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “We have killed the heads of the organization that sent the terrorists.”

Lack of evidence

Aside from the insistence of Israeli officials, no evidence has come to light clearly linking the Eilat incident to any group in Gaza. Indeed, Hamas and the PRC themselves denied responsibility for the attacks.

In addition, the governor of Egypt’s North Sinai region, Abdel Wahab Mabruk, denied militants had entered the territory from Gaza, citing his country’s heavy security presence in the area.

In a striking turnaround on Saturday, the Israeli military’s chief spokesperson, Lt. Colonel Avital Leibovitz, denied that Israel blamed the PRC for the Eilat attack.

In an interview with The Real News Network’s Lia Tarachansky, Leibovitz said, “We did not say that this group was responsible for the terror attack. We based this on intelligence information as well as some facts that [we] actually presented an hour ago to some wires and journalists.”

As evidence that the attackers came from Gaza, she said, “Some of the findings that were from the bodies of the terrorists, and they are using, for example, Kalashnikov bullets and Kalashnikov rifles [which] are very common in Gaza.”

Leibovitz’s claim makes little sense, however, since the Kalashnikov is the most popular gun on the planet, with more than 75 million produced since the Second World War. Paul Woodward, the author of the blog War in Context, responded to this assertion saying, “that’s about as logical as saying they know they came from Gaza because they appeared to be Arabs.”

Gaza under fire

Despite the apparent lack of concrete evidence linking the Eilat attackers to groups in Gaza, Israel pressed ahead with an air offensive on Gaza.

The first night of airstrikes left a total of seven Palestinians dead, including a 13-year-old boy named Mahmoud Abu Samra, who according to medics was killed when Israeli warplanes struck a Hamas intelligence compound in Gaza City.

After three nights of Israeli bombardment, the death toll in Gaza stood at 14 Palestinians dead and more than 40 wounded.

The bombing also damaged civilian infrastructure, including government and NGO offices, water and sewage pumps, and a psychotherapy clinic.

Lopsided response

Palestinian armed groups in Gaza, including the PRC and the military wing of Hamas, responded to the Israeli strikes by launching rockets into Israeli territory.

Some of these rockets were homemade projectiles – so-called Qassam rockets – that ordinarily have a maximum range of five kilometers, although some have been recorded to fly up to 20 kilometers (12 miles). These crude rockets are completely unguided and rarely cause casualties.

Armed groups also fired Grad missiles, another primitive weapon, originally developed by the Soviet military in the 1960s. In contrast with the Qassam, however, the Grad is in fact a deadly weapon. One Israeli man was killed by a Grad fired from Gaza into the city of Beersheba on Friday.

By any measure, however, the armaments of the Palestinian guerilla fighters are no match for those of the Israeli armed forces. In three days of strikes on Gaza, the Israeli military has already used American-made F-16 fighter jets and Apache helicopters, along with unmanned aerial drones.

Israel is one of the best-armed states in the region, possessing more than 500 combat aircraft, more than 3,300 tanks, nuclear weapons, and its own communications and surveillance satellites.

End of the ceasefire

After 24 hours of strikes, the military wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Friday that it no longer considers itself bound by a unilateral ceasefire that had been in place since the end of Israel’s winter offensive in Gaza in 2009.

The truce was agreed upon by all of the armed factions in Gaza, and was periodically reaffirmed in consultations among the groups. However, a handful of small, radical Salafist groups refused to abide by the ceasefire.

In spite of intermittent confrontations, the ceasefire had produced relative calm in Gaza and its surroundings. The Hamas government took pains to enforce the truce, frequently jailing members of splinter groups who violated the agreement.

Hamas and the rival Fatah movement reaffirmed the ceasefire when they signed a reconciliation agreement in April 2011.

Although some Palestinian individuals and groups violated the ceasefire over the course of two and a half years, Israel has violated it with far more deadly consequences.

According to data compiled by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, from the end of the 2009 offensive until 28 July 2011, Israeli military action killed 202 Palestinians in Gaza.

By contrast, during the same period, according to the UN database, Palestinian armed groups killed only three Israeli soldiers. Israeli government data show that Palestinian shelling from Gaza during this time killed another two people.

FOREVER! Gaza in our hearts!

War in Context: Israel’s security strategy — when in doubt, assault Gaza

by PAUL WOODWARD ~ 21 August 2011

 

A Palestinian man carries the body of Islam Greagea, a five-year-old boy killed in an Israeli air strike, at a hospital in Gaza City on August 19, 2011

Three days after the attacks by gunmen outside Eilat in southern Israel, what do we know about the identities of the gunmen? Almost nothing.

In the mainstream media they are blithely referred to as “Palestinian gunmen” yet so far the only basis for this description is the unsubstantiated word of Israeli officials. Those officials have provided no real evidence to back up their claims.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to assign responsibility for the attacks with the Gaza-based Popular Resistance Committees yet both they and Hamas denied any involvement.

Generally speaking, Palestinian militant groups are not shy about claiming responsibility for attacks against Israelis — especially those that can be described as military operations where Israeli soldiers are killed or injured. Indeed, the problem is more often that too many groups — not too few — want to claim the honor.

This suggests a rather obvious explanation about why no Palestinian group announced that it directed the attacks: it wasn’t a Palestinian operation.

The Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson refused to endorse Netanyahu’s assertion about the PRC role and the only “proof” of Palestinian involvement the IDF presented was the use of Kalashnikovs — as though 100 million Kalashnikovs, 20% of the firearms available on the planet, are now stockpiled in Gaza!

What other evidence is there about the gunmen? They were wearing Egyptian military uniforms.

Just before the Eilat attacks, Egyptian security forces declared Operation Eagle — an effort to bring security to the lawless Sinai — a success.

Deputy Interior Minister Ahmad Gamal Eddin said at a press conference last week that the campaign has so far managed to arrest members of al-Takfeer wal-Hijra and to collect arms and illegally acquired military uniforms.

Militant Salafists based in the Sinai are believed to have been periodically blowing up the Egypt-Israel gas pipeline this year. They are well-armed and possess Egyptian military uniforms. Were they behind the Eilat attacks? It seems a bit more plausible than the IDF’s Kalashnikov-based analysis.

Meanwhile, Hamas has once again agreed to take the lead in enforcing a ceasefire with Israel.

A Hamas official in Gaza says that all of Gaza’s militant groups have agreed to a cease-fire aimed at ending a three-day round of violence with Israel.

The official says Egypt helped broker the cease-fire, which will go into effect this evening. He says Egypt told the groups that Israel would halt its airstrikes only if the Palestinian groups stopped shooting first, and that Hamas security personnel would enforce the agreement.

He spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because the agreement had not officially been made public.

Earlier on Sunday, AP reported that Israeli officials arrived in Cairo. Moreover, Israeli sources confirmed that the reduced IDF strikes on Gaza in the last 24 hours was an intentional move aimed at allowing Egypt to mediate a cease-fire, as well as out of fear for the defense and diplomatic relationship with Egypt.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued a harsh warning to those responsible for the latest rocket fire on southern Israel, saying those who act against Israel “will have their heads separated from their bodies.”

Thus speaks Israel’s own Salafist military commander.