*Further update: 10:20 pm Israeli time Monday:
As reported in israelstreet breaking news, Sderot was attacked at 9:15 pm. Thus far, the remains of one exploded missile have been found in an open area just outside the city limits.
*Further update: 9:15 pm Israel time Monday:
As of this moment, the missiles are falling in the Sderot area again–no reports yet of actual numbers or locations. 198 Hamas missiles and mortars have now struck southern Israel since Saturday evening–meaning that 32 have hit Israel so far today. Netivot has been especially hard hit today with 5 rockets in the 6:15 pm barrage alone. And still, Netanyahu, Barak, and Gantz sit on their hands and do nothing.
*Further update: 3:30 pm Israel time Monday:
Six more mortars and rockets fired by terrorists in Gaza have hit southern Israel, including a direct hit on a factory in Netivot where workers had to be hospitalized for shock. 188 Hamas missiles and mortars have now struck Israel since Saturday evening.
In the meantime, there has been another exchange of fire between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights–with Israel returning fire after a Syrian mortar hit near an Israeli position.
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*Further update: 11:30 am Israel time Monday:
There have now been 182 missiles and mortars fired against southern Israel since Saturday evening.
In the last two hours, the ‘ceasefire’ has produced three terrorist mortars and a Qassam fired into the Eshkol region, and at least one missile fired at Kissufim. The IDF has reported that the reason that it did nothing yesterday was because of “bad weather.” Can you believe it?
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*Further update 9:30 am Israel time Monday:
Some of the destruction from direct hits in Netivot this morning.
You will note in today’s blog that there has been another rocket assault on Netivot this morning–26 people there have been treated or hospitalized with trauma.
So far today 11 missiles have been fired at southern Israel.
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UPDATE 9 am Israel time Monday:
166 Hamas missiles and mortars were fired at the people of southern Israel between Saturday evening and midnight last night. 166 missiles and mortars.
Did you ever think you would see the day that an Israeli government would tolerate such an assault on its people? Well you should have. This is the fourth time such an outrageous missile assault has been countenanced by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu–the same Netanyahu who promised in the lead-up to the last election that he would stop the rockets once and for all.
Even Ehud Olmert–certainly no friend of this blog–reached a point where he could no longer bear to see what was happening to Israeli citizens. Even Ehud Olmert had the courage to do something about the nonstop terror incurred by southern Israelis. Even Ehud Olmert had the guts to go against “political correctness” and the international community of Gaza apologists. But not Benjamin Netanyahu.
Another “ceasefire” in the never-ending Hamas war against southern Israel apparently went into effect at 12:00 am this morning.
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At 12:03 am, Hamas terrorists fired two rockets into the Eshkol region.
At 7:13 am, red sirens for incoming Hamas terrorist rockets sounded in Netivot.
At 7:19 am there was a direct missile hit on a house in Netivot.
At 8:50 am there were red sirens in Zikim, Chof Ashkelon, and Netiv Asara.
At 8:51 am there were red sirens at the Erez Crossing.
At 8:52 am there were red sirens in the Ashkelon industrial area.
TODAY’S BLOG:
It is a pattern we here in southern Israel know all too well.
1. Hamas and its subsidiaries attack the people in the Gaza border communities of southern Israel everyday with 4 to 5 Qassam missiles and mortars–“maintaining” what the IDF and media absurdly call “relative calm”. Every once in a while as part of a cat and mouse game with Hamas, the IAF will hit a terrorist cell as it is preparing yet another launch.
2. But at ever decreasing intervals, most recently before yesterday about three weeks ago, there is suddenly a 24, 48, or 72 hour burst of 100, 200, or 300 mortars and missiles. The main focus of the terrorists continues to be the completely unprotected Israeli border communities, but in these bursts a few high-trajectory Grad rockets are fired at Beersheva, Ashdod, or Ashkelon–and the IDF shoots some of these down with the Iron Dome.
Yet even in the midst of these bursts, the IDF, for all practical purposes, does nothing except again to target individuals or groups in the midst of launches. Here’s what the Israel Air Force did yesterday according to the IDF Spokesman’s Office: it blew up a tunnel used by terrorists, a weapons storage facility, and a rocket-launching site in southern Gaza. In other words, the IAF hit an empty tunnel, an empty building, and an open space.
3. When the news media coverage of the missile burst becomes intense enough with pictures of injured people, children shivering in bomb shelters, destroyed houses and cars, our “brave” leaders led by Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, and Benny Gantz begin their usual round of empty threats (“Hamas will pay a hard price for these facts”, “the IDF is prepared to enter Gaza”, “The government has tougher responses if the situation escalates”).
4. But while the Netanyahu, Barak, Gantz triad is openly blathering these threats, the IDF continues to search for excuses to do nothing–and the government privately contacts Egypt to get them to call off Hamas. Usually, after 150 or so missiles, Egypt–to the relief of the Israeli government and the IDF–rides to the rescue of impotent Israel and arranges for a “truce.”
5. Except that it is not really a truce at all–it is merely a return to Stage 1.
Where will all of this lead today?
Your humble servant will give you three options–choose the one you think is most likely to happen:
A. Benjamin Netanyahu will finally develop some courage.
B. The IDF will finally do something.
C. Hamas will continue to fire rockets at the people of southern Israel with impunity.
Tune in tomorrow for the answer (as if you do not already know it).
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.