UPDATES 7 am, Israel time, Thursday August 14 2014:
**As predicted in yesterday’s blog, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement just before midnight last night to extend the “ceasefire” by another 5 days. This came after President Obama exerted considerable pressure on PM Netanyahu–pressure that was completely unnecessary.
Why was it unnecessary? Because Netanyahu was desperate to find a way out of having to sign a permanent ceasefire agreement with Hamas. As the day progressed yesterday, it began to appear that he would not be able to cobble together 5 votes in his so-called “Security Cabinet”. The 5-day ceasefire was something that Netanyahu could agree to without having to get the permission of everyone else.
In fact, the situation is so bizarre that members of Netanyahu’s cabinet complained last night that Netanyahu had “disappeared” and that they were “being updated from Hamas”. An unnamed senior intelligence official told Ynet News that the entire situation regarding Netanyahu’s failure to update his own Security Cabinet and the Israeli public is “embarrassing.”
**Speaking of President Obama, the White House has directly ordered the Pentagon to stop the sale of Hellfire missiles for Israeli combat helicopters to Israel as of today. The Pentagon, which had already approved the sale, was directed by President to halt all such sales. A White House spokesman said that the sale of such missiles is “no longer acceptable” because of the Gaza situation.
In other words, the terrorists in Gaza can shoot at us, but we cannot shoot back at them.
Is it any wonder that Obama and his Administration are despised in Israel?
TODAY’S BLOG:
So back to today’s question of “When is a ceasefire not a ceasefire?
The answer is simply that there is never any “ceasefire” with Hamas.
You will recall, dear reader, that your humble servant described in this blog on August 11, 3 days ago, what a “ceasefire” with Hamas is like:
“It means that southern Israel, especially the Gaza border communities in the Eshkol, Sha’ar Hanegev, and Chof Ashkelon regions will almost immediately continue receiving regular missile and mortar fire at a rate of 2 or 3 per day (perhaps even by this afternoon or tomorrow) adding up to 10-15 per week.”
This is what has happened in the space of 5 hours last night and this morning–all of which took place while there was a “ceasefire”:
*At 8 pm last night, Hamas launched missiles at the Sha’ar Hanegev region. There was no alarm. Police later reported finding missile impact site.
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*At 9:57 pm last night, Hamas launched missiles at the Chof Asheklon region just south of us here in Ashdod. We heard 3 explosions.
*At 11:32 pm last night, Hamas launched missiles at Be’eri (Eshkol region).
*At 11:50 pm last night, Hamas launched missiles at the Eshkol region.
*At 11:52 pm last night, Hamas launched missiles at Netivot (between Beersheva and Gaza). The Iron Dome system intercepted two.
*At 12:57 am this morning, Hamas launched missiles at Kfar Aza, Sa’ad, and Yakhini (Sha’ar Hanegev region).
More than these, in the midst of the missile fire:
*Hamas fired one missile at southern Israel misfired that exploded in Gaza.
*Hamas fired another missile at southern Israel (apparently) that also misfired and exploded in a house in El-Matallah, Egypt near Rafah. A 12 year old girl was killed and her two brothers badly wounded.
Fifteen missiles in the space of 5 hours. One dead and two seriously wounded. Numerous other Israelis in southern Israel emotionally traumatized.
Almost none of this even appeared in the Israeli news this morning. Your humble servant is currently watching a Channel 10 reporter in “the field” (in the Eshkol region) inanely talking about how last night “was quiet” with only a few missiles that hit “open areas”.
Do you begin to get a sense of why southern Israelis are angry?
We have been abandoned again. And that is why we are going to Tel Aviv tonight to protest.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.