Negev pounded with Qassams, mortar shells fired from Gaza

[oberliner]

A barrage of four Qassam rockets and five mortar shells fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip slammed into the western Negev on Friday. No injuries were reported, but several people were treated for shock and cars in the area sustained damage.

Another Qassam rocket struck an open area in the Eshkol region in the western Negev. No injuries or damage were reported.

Earlier Friday, an Israel Defense Forces soldier was wounded and a Palestinian gunman was killed in clashes near the Gaza Strip border fence.

An IDF spokeswoman said troops operating close to the border east of Gaza City spotted an armed man and shot him. she said an Israeli soldier was lightly to moderately wounded in the exchange.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/990870.html

What is the purpose of the Qassams from the perspective of those who are firing them? Do they have some strategic value in their view? If so, what is it?

[Bob Dobbs]

1. False flag.

No strategic value to "Palestinians".

[oberliner]

2. Elaborate please?

Can you explain what you mean?

[Bob Dobbs]

3. Don't you think Palestinians would have better aim?

Cui bono?

[oberliner]

4. Are you making the claim that Israel is somehow shooting Qassams at itself from Gaza?

You seem to be implying that, but I may not be understanding you correctly.

[Bob Dobbs]

5. I am merely asking

who would benefit from rockets falling into "open areas".

You were the one raising the question of strategy.

I find it puzzling.

[oberliner]

6. I find it puzzling as well

I certainly have no alternative hypothesis to explain it.

[notfullofit]

9. I understand

home made rockets are not very accurate but the intent to kill is still there.

[henank]

7. Are you really being serious???

Do you really think the Israelis would shoot missiles at itself in order to give itself a reason to attack Gaza? I'm sorry, but my head is exploding at this convoluted thought process of yours. If you really think the IDF would shoot missiles at its own civilians, or at its own territory, you must be out of your mind.

Do you honestly think the Palestinians' missiles are so precise that they hit civilians every single time? This after being reassured time and again that their "puny" missiles are "home-made", "crude", "unguided"...???! You don't think it is even a teeny leetle bit possible that their missiles might occasionally fall short and hit open fields? You don't consider it a possibility that the Palestinians would just fire off their missiles in the general direction of Israel, hoping to hit something, and occasionally hitting and occasionally missing a target?

You've obviously never been to the Negev, probably never been to Israel at all. You have no idea of the terrain or what missile warfare is like. You also have no clue as to the character and discipline of the IDF.

[Vegasaurus]

8. The Israel haters will do anything

including making ridiculous and false claims such as this, to advance their own beliefs.

Hamas, IJ and the many other militant groups have claimed responsibility for thousands of rockets that have, fortunately, not hit anyone.

However, they aim to kill as many innocent Israelis as possible.

They continue to improve their rocket capabilities, including getting more dangerous ones from Iran, with the hopes that their rockets will not fall in fields, but on schools full of children.

[azurnoir]

10. Couldn't possibly be a tit for tat

retaliation for this

GAZA CITY (AFP) — A four-year-old girl was killed and her mother wounded on Thursday in an Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip that targeted Palestinian militants after a rocket killed an Israeli, medics said.

The two were outside their house near Khan Yunes in southern Gaza when a drone fired a missile after apparently targeting armed militants in the area, witnesses said.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x214406

Both sides need to stop

[oberliner]

11. But that attack was in response to the killing of Amnon Rozenberg earlier in the day

Amnon Rosenberg, 51, killed in mortar shell strike on Kibbutz Nir Oz

Amnon Rosenberg, 51, was killed yesterday when a mortar shell fired by Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip hit a paint factory at Kibbutz Nir Oz in the western Negev.

Rosenberg, a father of three from nearby Kibbutz Nirim, was warehouse manager of the Nirlat paint factory. He is the third person to be killed by mortar fire from Gaza in the last month; the other two were Jimmy Kedoshim of Kibbutz Kfar Aza and Shuli Katz of Kibbutz Gvaram.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/990638.html

[azurnoir]

12. There were also Israeli incursions into Gaza

during the same time period, which is my point, the constant tit for tat and "we'll stop when they do" from both sides keeps the problem going.

[pelsar]

13. tit for tat?..

fails if you know the history...though i do realize that one absolutely MUST ignore the short history of the period in order to somehow blame israel...but then you probably arent...i believe your just raising the question...correct?


the short history for those how dont know:
israel withdrawls from gaza: during the withdrawl no attacks from gaza, no attacks from israel.

withdrawl complete: attacks from gaza 30 missiles same night....and continual attacks almost daily

israel responds with sonic booms, shells in open areas.....nothing changes the kassams keep coming

and there were other periods when israel didnt respond...and the attacks kept coming....
dec 2006
http://www.phrmg.org/aqsa/dec2006.htm

and then of course we have the hamasnkim shooting up the food deliverys and import posts.....i'm sure thats also "tit for tat" (though i'm not quite certain what the food importers did or how they retailiated....)


so much for the tit for tat...but then admitting that sure ruins the "israel has to be blamed' syndrome doesnt it?