Defiant Hamas hits Israel with dozens of rockets

[oberliner]

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Palestinian militants sent a deadly barrage of missiles flying deep into Israel on Monday, demonstrating that Hamas still had firepower three days into Israel's punishing air offensive in Gaza. Three Israelis were killed and two seriously wounded. Palestinian health officials put the three-day death toll in Gaza at 364; the U.N. said the total included at least 62 civilians.

In Monday's attacks, Israel focused its bombing on the houses of Hamas field operatives in a campaign meant to tear at the roots of the extremist group ruling Gaza. Israel's defense minister promised a "war to the bitter end against Hamas" and allied militants.

Intensified rocket strikes by Gaza militants, which triggered the Israeli offensive, have revealed the expanding range of missiles that are making larger cities farther inside Israel vulnerable.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081230/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

[jaysunb]

1. Defiant

:evilfrown:

[peacebird]

2. "a deadly barrage"? Did they hit something besides sand this time?

Previously their rocket attacks resembled the gang who couldn't shoot straight. Not saying I approve, or want to see death & destruction - but the news articles description of the attack as "Palestinian militants sent a deadly barrage of missiles flying deep into Israel " strikes me as specious at best....

[oberliner]

3. They killed two people

Irit Sheetrit, 39, was killed after rockets fired from Gaza exploded in the coastal town of Ashdod north of Ashkelon. Although she managed to get out of her car and take cover on the ground, she was wounded critically and later succumbed to her injuries. Her sister, Ayelet Morduch, was also in the vechile and sustained light wounds.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3646829,00.html

[peacebird]

5. so the Israelis (with US supplied arms) are retaliating with killing almost 100:1

So much for proportional. Guess they have the high moral ground, oh boy.
:sarcasm:

[Joe the Revelator]

6. Just War is overrated

The goal is to STOP the rocket attacks, not to play eye for an eye games.

[Recursion]

35. Heckuvah job it's doing at stopping them...

[oberliner]

7. You asked if they hit anything besides sand

They did.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. Moreover the rockets reached further north than anytime before

Many do not realize the impact that is having on the national psyche in Israel. Its about the worst thing Hamas could be doing. For negligible tactical effect they are INCREASING support to the actions in Gaza.

[ellisonz]

14. Hamas has also threatened to resume suicide bombings inside Israel.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. One of the complaints has been that Israel stopped movement in from Gaza

In that same time frame the suicide bombers stopped. Many believe there was a coorelation

[Statistical]

56. How to stop suicide bombings .......

One possible solution. Keep borders to Gaza sealed.

Wait a second isn't that one thing Hamas is protesting?

It seems like one hand of Hamas is unaware or not smart enough to figure out what the other hand is thinking/doing.

"The threats of suicide bombings will continue until the border is opened which will enable suicide bombings".
"Wait they didn't opened the border?"

[Joe the Revelator]

4. A peacebird only when the situation suits you apparently

Just because they aren't hitting anything doesn't mean they aren't trying to hit something.

[peacebird]

8. I lost all sympathy for Israel after the grossly disproportionate response in Lebanon

This attack on Gaza is more of the same.

[Joe the Revelator]

9. see my above reply about the fallacies of"proportinate" response

[cali]

10. interesting. so Israeli civilians are fair game.

sorry, that's bullshit. I've condemned harshly the diproportionate Israeli response to the rocket attacks. That doesn't mean the rocket attacks are fine and dandy.

You have no problem with Israeli civilians being blown to bits. That's simply sick. And your name is a mockery.

Hate is sick, "peacebird".

[peacebird]

12. I do not want anyone blown to bits. I think war should always be the last resort, not tit for tat.

I *do* believe that the Israeli government has basically stacked the deck against the civilians in Gaza (blockades of medical supplies, fuel, and food) making their lives hell. I think it was done on purpose to precipitate the overthrow of their elected government. But the Israelis seem to forget that sometimes when persecuted, a people comes together much more strongly. (strange they would forget that little pearl...)

Perhaps some brave souls will manage to broker a just peace, but not until all sides begin to view the other as equally human. One hopeful sign is that there's a group that takes children from each side to America for a camp in the summers - just like there used to be for kids from the north and south of Ireland.

[Vegasaurus]

13. The longer range missiles confirm Israeli suspicions

that any "truce" would be a time for Hamas to rearm with bigger weapons.

That is exactly what happened during this last pretend lull.

Why anyone thinks that Israel should trust the murderous militants running a faux government in Gaza is beyond me.

[ellisonz]

15. Because this isn't about Israel and Hamas to them...

...this is about Jews and Palestinians to those who see this as one sided.

[bemildred]

16. Palestinian terrorists continue to rocket southern Israel; no casualties

Palestinian terrorists continued to rocket southern Israel Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total number of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip to over 30 since morning.

Two Kassam rockets that were fired at the Eshkol region landed in open areas and did not cause wounded or damage. A rocket fired at a Sha'ar Hanegev kibbutz crashed into the communal dining room and caused damage but no casualties.

Meanwhile, emergency forces were searching for the impact sites of some four Kassam rockets that were fired at the area south of Ashkelon. There were no reports of casualties or damage in those attacks.

Several rockets also fell in the Sderot area late Tuesday afternoon, causing neither casualties nor damage.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230456533732&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[bemildred]

17. EXTRA: Hamas further deepens rocket attacks into Israel

Tel Aviv - Hamas further deepened its rocket attacks into southern Israel Tuesday, sending two upgraded Russian-type Grad rockets to a distance of more than 30 kilometres, police said. One rocket struck near the Israeli town of Qiryat Malahi, east of the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashdod which was hit for the first time late Monday.

Another landed near the Bedouin town of Rahat, north of Beersheba, the largest Israeli city in the southern Negev desert.

Hamas said in a statement the rocket had aimed for Beersheba, where Israeli Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said authorities for the first time ever activated a rocket alarm, sending residents into safe rooms and shelters.

He said Palestinian militants fired at least 30 self-made Qassam and other rockets at Israel Tuesday by the late afternoon, bringing to more than 220 the total launched since a deadly Israeli air offensive in Gaza - aimed at curbing attacks from the strip - began Saturday.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/248297,extra-hamas-further-deepens-rocket-attacks-into-israel.html

[bemildred]

18. Rocket Range Expanding, Kiryat Malachi is Hit

(IsraelNN.com) Gaza terrorists fired on several major Israeli cities on Tuesday afternoon in a continued effort to hit targets as far from Gaza as possible. Strikes were reported adjacent to Kiryat Malachi and Netivot. An additional strike was reported between the Bedouin city of Rahat and the city of Be'er Sheva, Israel's seventh largest city.

At least 16 rockets hit the city of Sderot on Tuesday, and a rocket also hit a town south of Ashkelon, damaging a soccer field. Reports of a direct strike on a kibbutz dining hall in the western Negev could not immediately be confirmed.

Several people suffered shock in the Kiryat Malachi attack, but no physical injuries were reported. In Sderot, a man was lightly wounded when a rocket hit his house.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has declared a “special situation” in all areas located within 30 kilometers of Gaza. The move allows defense officials to cancel civilian events, close factories and schools, and more.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/129124

[Alamuti Lotus]

20. "Gaza terrorists"? that's a controversial biased source!

:eyes:

More seriously -- range and frequency seems to expand as the assault goes on. Heard that one before...

[bemildred]

21. Well, you know I don't care about that much.

It's one of the fundamental questions here, this is all to stop the rockets, right? Like bush and the WMDs in Iraq? I think they will have to invade to do that. And that leads to it's own problems.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

23. Any of your article talking about ground action yet?

It seems odd that they delay, unless there is something else in the works.

[bemildred]

24. No. But that could be lots of things.

In 2006 there was a lot of blather before they finally did it at the end. I tend to think it won't happen here, for reasons which I assume you understand, whether you agree with them or not, but reason does not always rule in these things.

[Alamuti Lotus]

25. We know the difference between stated reasoning..

which is really just good for the 'true believers', the completely unintiated and the talkingpoint bots who love them... And then there are silly things like elections and keeping up appearances that really drive things. Netanyahoo & Barak have been playing this "I would bomb <X> more than the other guy" game for at least 12 years now, when Khiam was the carnival de jour (I have been assured that like Gaza under siege, it also had chubby/smiling toddlers and camel rides) and Nabatiyah the munitions testing field of choice..

I don't have any kind of inside information (aside from the sad fact that I occasionally understand how politicians {rarely} think), but I would assume the delay in starting the ground war is a few ministers remembering that it might go badly, thus ruining the great election plank they've been piecing together. I don't think there really is anything resembling a plan, except the fervent hope that things will magickally work themselves out once something gets sparked. One of these days governments might realize that never really works.. And then there are still people who are shocked to find out that escalating a situation..escalates the situation.

Hamas has it easy at the moment, all they have to do is survive and it's at least a draw, if not a pyrric win. Another day that adds kilometers and keeping frequency in the 'rockets red glare' in this context is as much a tactical victory as 500 more IAF missions.

on edits: added a scattering of thoughts, after it occured to me that I had them..

[bemildred]

26. Well, I know that politics is show business.

And I said at the beginning that this was a strategic blunder. But events make fools of us all.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

22. Just like IOF and other terms, is indicates the spin of the article

The reach into Israel has been increasing. Places never hit before are now taking fire. That is one of the key reasons Israel attacked.

[bemildred]

27. Barak: 'Special security situation' for towns within 30 km. of Gaza

Following a major escalation in rocket fire on Monday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided Tuesday to declare a "special security situation" in all Israeli towns and cities located within a 30-kilometer radius of the Gaza Strip.

On Sunday, the day after Operation Cast Lead began, Barak had declared a special security situation in the south in communities located within a 20 km. radius of Gaza.

The declaration grants the Home Front Command the authority to close factories, cancel conferences and events, and to conduct other civilian activities. It also enables the security establishment to play an active role in city affairs alongside local authorities.

The cabinet is required to approve the special status over the next two days, as it has already done for Gaza periphery communities. Under the order, schools will remain closed in all towns located within the 30 km. radius, including Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, Ofakim, Sderot and Kiryat Malachi.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230456537127&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Orange alert, maybe?

[bemildred]

28. 'Victims of Hatred'

Since Saturday, December 27, four Israelis have been killed by rocket and mortar fire from Gaza:

# Dec 27 - Beber Vaknin, 58, of Netivot was killed when a rocket fired from Gaza hit an apartment building in the city.

# Dec 29 - Hanni al-Mahdi, 27, of the Beduin settlement Aro'er in the Negev, was killed when a Grad-type missile fired from Gaza exploded at a construction site in Ashkelon. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

# Dec 29 - Irit Sheetrit, 39, of Ashdod was killed and several wounded when a Grad rocket exploded in the center of the city. Hamas claimed responsibility.

# Dec 29 - Chief Warrant Officer Lotfi Nasr a-Din, 38, of the Druse town of Daliat al-Carmel was killed by a mortar attack on a military base near Nahal Oz.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230456537139&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[subsuelo]

30. jpost have a running tally on the Gazan victims of hatred too?

[bemildred]

31. Dead Israelis count too, Sir.

We all count, or ought to.

[subsuelo]

32. absolutely so

I am curious about jpost's coverage though - wondering if each Gazan victim of hatred get's their own individual profile

[bemildred]

33. I assume that's a rhetorical question? nt

[Vegasaurus]

36. Like it or not, Hamas militants' deaths are not going to be very important to Israelis

Hamas could stop this whole war in a minute, if they so choose.

They don't, and they will rot in hell as a result.

[bemildred]

29. Fear and resolve as rockets head north into Israel

ASHDOD, Israel: A piercing shriek went up and a young woman fainted as the body, wrapped in a white shroud, was brought into the packed funeral hall.

On Tuesday, this fast-developing modern port city about half way between Gaza and Tel Aviv buried its first victim of a rocket attack: Irit Sheetrit, a 39-year-old mother of four.

The Katyusha-type rocket that killed her was fired on Monday night by Palestinian militants from Gaza; it was the first to have hit this city of more than 200,000, so far north of the Palestinian territory.

Over the weekend, Israel began its devastating air bombardment of Hamas targets in Gaza with the stated goal of stopping the incessant rocket fire that has plagued Israeli towns and villages close to the border for years.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/30/africa/31israel.php

[bemildred]

34. More than 60 rockets hit Negev, including Ashkelon and Be'er Sheva

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday fired a barrage of more than 60 Katyusha and Qassam rockets at the western Negev, with a number exploding in the cities of Ashkelon and Be'er Sheva, previously thought to be beyond rocket reach.

A Grad rocket fired by the militants struck directly into an empty schoolhouse in Be'er Sheva on Wednesday morning, 37 kilometers from the coastal territory. Earlier, two rockets exploded in open fields near the Negev city. No injuries or damage was reported.

---

Two people were lightly wounded when a rocket slammed into the northern Negev city of Ashkelon late Wednesday morning. Another rocket exploded in the early afternoon in the heart of a residential neighborhood in the city, leaving a number of people suffering from shock.

Hamas took responsibility for Wednesday's strike on Be'er Sheva. Shortly after the strike, the Home Front Command issued a ban on all public gatherings in the city.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1051235.html

[bemildred]

37. Defiant Hamas launches new rockets deeper into Israel

---

Despite Israel's intense five-day bombing campaign of Gaza, Palestinian militants have begun using longer-range rockets that now reach up to 25 miles inside Israel, hitting cities such as Ashdod and Be'er Sheva for the first time.

Israeli military officials say the rockets are 122mm Grads, which they believe have been smuggled into Gaza through tunnels under the Egyptian border in recent months. The rockets, which are up to three metres in length, can be disassembled and were almost certainly brought through the tunnels in parts, under the border town of Rafah.

In the past, regular Grad rockets had reached up to 12 miles inside Israel, hitting cities such as Ashkelon. But now an enhanced, longer version with a slightly larger 22kg warhead has reached ranges of 25 miles. Rockets fired on Tuesday night and yesterday hit the city of Be'er Sheva, in the Negev desert, for the first time, although they remain inaccurate and are not fired from sophisticated launchers.

---

"I think not enough damage was done," Fighel said. "The Izzedine al-Qassam's power was not severely damaged and the fact that they were capable of launching rockets this morning shows that the IDF didn't accomplish their mission in providing security to the southern part of Israel." Fighel said he believed Hamas had further rocket and weapons stores in crowded urban areas that could not easily be destroyed by aerial bombing without large civilian casualties, but which needed to be attacked byIsraeli troops, though not necessarily through a major invasion or a long occupation.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/01/rockets-hamas-israel-border

[bemildred]

38. Hamas unveils arsenal of long-range missiles

Hamas has unveiled an arsenal of missiles capable of penetrating more than 30 miles into Israel, forcing the country’s home front command to expand its rocket-warning system.

Israeli officials confirmed today that Hamas was firing 122mm Grad artillery rockets at southern Israeli communities. The rockets, which are manufactured in more than 50 countries and widely available on the black market, have hit targets several southern Israeli cities.

---

An Israeli intelligence official added that Hamas has also acquired dozens of the Iranian-made Fajr-3, which have an even longer range than the Grad.

---

Yuval Diskin, the Shin Bet security chief, said today that Israeli air strikes had taken out one-third of Hamas’ rocket arsenal, and had “hit Hamas like never before.” Nearly 400 Palestinians have been killd and some 1,600 wounded since Israel began it’s offensive on the Gaza Strip Saturday. The United Nations said at least 60 of those killed were civilians, but stressed it was a conservative estimate. Four Israelis have been killed by rocket attacks.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5425659.ece

[GoesTo11]

40. Israel should remove the long range missles

and the capability to smuggle them in.

That'd be a good thing!

[IndianaGreen]

41. Perhaps the Palestinians should get the same surface to air missiles we gave the Afghans

They have the right to defend themselves against a foreign aggressor that has been occupying their land for 60 years.

[GoesTo11]

42. Nope, that'd be a bad thing.

They don't have any such right and there is no such foreign aggressor.

In fact, if they didn't have any weapons, Israel wouldn't be attacking Gaza now! Go figure.

[IndianaGreen]

44. People have the right to self defense

Palestinian surface to air missiles will shoot down Israeli helicopters and F-16s, much as the Afghans did to the Soviets. SAMs are defensive weapons. Let's arm the Palestinians, then peace will quickly follow.

[GoesTo11]

48. x

[GoesTo11]

49. Your example isn't very compelling.

Arming the Afghans, funding the Mujahadeen, bringing in Bin Laden to help them fight, all that, didn't really turn out so well, IMHO. Afghanistan had some nasty times these last couple of decades.

I would prefer to arm the Palestinians with knowledge and grace, so they can shoot down the arguments of the Israeli right and the Islamic extremists.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

51. You have no clue about manpads

[ProgressiveProfessor]

52. Actually they do, presumably even in Gaza

Its been assumed that some were smuggled in with the Grads etc.

However, the vast majority of the air strikes were done above manpad range and they don't work on UAVs.

[bemildred]

43. So your favor the ground invasion and re-occupation of Gaza? nt

[GoesTo11]

45. There's a cost-benefit issue here

Ground invasion - maybe, but if so it should be short, surgical, focused on finding and destroying weapons, tunnels, and Hamas leaders, and with as much care to avoid harming civilians as possible. Re-occupation - no way.

[IndianaGreen]

46. Our blind and unconditional support for Israel led to 9/11 attacks

Go figure!

[GoesTo11]

50. Nah, Bin Laden just said that to mess with our heads

[LeftishBrit]

55. Yes.

In any case, why should Bin Laden be allowed to hold the world to ransom? The War on Terra is ridiculous, but so is the idea that we ought to do whatever Bin Laden et al tell us.

Not that I approve of all aspects of the America/Israel (or America/Britain) alliance. But Bin Laden isn't the arbiter of what we should or shouldn't do.

[bemildred]

47. Short, surgical urban warfare? With search an destroy operations?

Where the enemy has had leisure to prepare the battlefield?
OK.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

54. I would expect Israel to turn over control to the PA when they withdraw

The PA may well ride their coattails into Gaza as well, taking over aid distribution and such.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

53. this is a key item that I have been harping on here

And one of the reasons that Israel is going to insist on removing Hamas from power.

The article as written, could leave a casual reader with some misunderstandings. To be clear:
- Grads have been shot for awhile now, several months IIRC.
- Ashdod and Be'er Sheva are beyond nominal Grad range
- The Fajr series which are not regular artillery rockets, and are designed more for terror use

IMO is the longer range attacks that drove the air strikes. Qassam near the border were not enough to justify this kind of assault for the Israelis. Ashdod, Be'er Sheva, and Dimona are.

Once Hamas is removed and the PA resumes control of Gaza, the rockets will stop as will the air strikes. Then peace will actually have a chance.

[bemildred]

39. Shockwaves as rockets hit Beersheba

---

With the cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon and Beersheba now within the proven range of missiles from Gaza, as much as 10% of Israel's population is under threat.

But the rocket attacks did not surprise everyone.

"We expected it," said Amit Reingold, standing in a small underground control room where half a dozen young Israeli women sat answering calls from citizens to the city's emergency hotline.

"(We) prepared in the last two years since the second Lebanon war," said Mr Reingold, who is the deputy manager of the hotline. "We took all the conclusions and applied them to Beersheba."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7806736.stm