Israel destroys Hamas homes, flattens Gaza mosque

[Robbien]

Source: AP

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israel showed no sign of slowing a blistering seven-day offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza, destroying homes of more than a dozen of the group's operatives Friday and bombing one of its mosques a day after a deadly strike killed a prominent Hamas figure and most of his family.

In what appeared to be a new Israeli tactic, the military called at least some of the houses ahead of time to warn inhabitants of an impending attack. In some cases, it also fired a sound bomb to warn away civilians before flattening the homes with powerful missiles, Palestinians and Israeli defense officials said.

. . .

In airstrike after airstrike early Friday, Israeli warplanes hit some 20 houses believed to belong to Hamas militants and members of other armed groups, Palestinians said.

They said the Israelis either warned nearby residents by phone or fired a warning missile to reduce civilian casualties. Israeli planes also dropped leaflets east of Gaza giving a confidential phone number and e-mail address for people to report locations of rocket squads. Residents stepped over the leaflets.


Read more: http://www.pr-inside.com/israel-destroys-hamas-homes-fl...

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If the homes really contained "the enemy" why would Israel be calling the occupants and telling them to flee before a bomb is dropped on them?

Firing a sound bomb first to warn them to run before they are bombed? What? Isn't this supposed to be a pocket of very very very bad people who deserve to be bombed?

[tekisui]

1. Those questions you ask expose the idiocy of Israel's claims.

Phone ahead to let your enemy know a bomb is coming? So stupid.

[WriteDown]

2. Or your own.

The goal is to destroy the rockets and firing locations now, not to eliminate the people.

[tekisui]

3. Point taken on targeting the weapons.

But, it still seems more like Israel PR than protecting lives.

[WriteDown]

4. Could be...

Hope at least a few lives are saved that way though .

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. But couldn't Hamas use this information

to move some of the materials they use in building their rockets to another place?

[WriteDown]

9. Pretty heavy stuff....

I imagine that they aren't given THAT much time. I also imagine that the targets are under some sort of long distance surveillance.

[Robbien]

5. Well the destruction is working. I hear the right wing Likud party is up in the polls

Death, destruction and blood in the streets is a great way of winning elections for the right wingnuts.

[madrchsod]

6. it`s a joke....

one of the first buildings they would have destroyed would be the communication center. telephone lines either buried or above ground would have been disrupted. taking out two or three cell phone towers crashes the system.

at the start of a war the first thing that is targeted is the communication network..

[Robbien]

7. Most of Gaza has been without electricity since the last power station was bombed over a year ago

What communication center? What telephone lines?

Most of Gaza doesn't even have clean water because the pumping and purification plant has been without electricity.

The rubble of Gaza is being bombed into even smaller bits of rubble.

[Igel]

10. There were reports of robocalls during the last Gaza operations.

Also the recent Lebanese bombing spree reportedly included phone calling.

Same rational. It gives those who want to commit suicide-by-aerial-bomb the opportunity, disposes of munitions and infrastructure, when they call the targets.

IIRC the last Gaza operation, they didn't necessary call the people targetted, but others in the building, giving them a few minutes to get out. Then they have the choice--run and save themselves, or possibly gather up some emergency things and run, or take the few minutes they have to warn the targets but incur the risk of being killed. This reduced, at least in principle, civilian collateral damage.

[Christa]

11. And it is being done with OUR money. NT

[winter999]

12. and I'd give more if I could.

[Thorandmjolnir]

13. I am sure the IDF have a support fund for people like you.

Maybe it could even be tax deductible, as a charity. Because remember, only Muslim charities are fronts for terrorism and destruction (sarcasm, in case anyone wondered).

[LynnTheDem]

14. That's great!!! The US military is so strapped, they're ordering 50 yr olds back

into service, so I'm sure they'd love you to go kill men, women and kids in Iraq for them!

That's not helping Israel kill men, women and kids in Gaza, but it's the next best thing!