Jihad missile offensive goes into second day. What Egyptian ceasefire?
DEBKAfile Special Report October 30, 2011, 7:23 AM
Sunday morning, Oct. 30, Jihad Islami denied knowledge of a truce Egypt called for 0600 Sunday morning. By 0700 hours it had launched eleven Grad missiles and two mortar rounds from the Gaza Strip at Ashdod, Gan Yavne, Lahavim, Ashkelo, Kiryat Malachi, Rahat and Shear Hanegev on the second day of its massive assault.
Saturday night, after more than 35 Palestinian missiles, most heavy Grads, had battered eight Israeli towns, Egyptian sources reported Israel and the Palestinian organizations of the Gaza Strip had accepted a truce starting 0600 Sunday morning. Earlier, one of those missiles hit an Ashkelon home and killed Moshe Ami, 59. Seven people were injured and dozens of people were treated for shock. The damage was substantial.
Saturday night, six more missiles hit Beersheba, Lahavim, Shear Hanegev and Ashkelon. Israeli air strikes hit six Palestinian terrorist targets – a tunnel and three missile launch pads in northern Gaza and two more in the south. There was no discernible deterrent effect on the missile assault. Schools were ordered to stay closed Sunday in eight southern Israeli towns
Cairo’s ceasefire initiative leaves Israel with two major concerns:
1. The Jihad Islami, which takes its orders and funding from Iran, will ignore the ceasefire and redouble its missile offensive against Israel to show Cairo and Jerusalem who has the whip hand.. A sharp Israeli response would place the truce breakdown at Israel’s door.
2. Jihad will decide whether or not to continue its attacks depending on its orders from Damascus and Tehran rather than Cairo. They will decide if it is worth their while for Egypt’s rulers to walk off with the success of damping down a major escalation.
Syrian ruler Bashar Assad hardly signaled a pacific intent when, in an interview to the Sunday Telegraph of October 30, he warned the West against intervening in the popular uprising raging against his regime:
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“Syria is the hub now in this region. It is the fault line, and if you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake … Do you want to see another Afghanistan, or tens of Afghanistans?
“Any problem in Syria will burn the whole region.”
Therefore the chances of Egypt’s ceasefire initiative taking hold are tenuous at best. Iran will no doubt take the chance of muscle-flexing in support of Assad. The Jihad confrontation with Israel suits both their plans.
debkafile reported Saturday:
Of the eight people injured by the massive Jihad Israeli missile offensive against Israeli towns Saturday, Oct. 29, one man died of wounds sustained when his home in Ashkelon was hit. Schools in southern Israel and Beersheba University will stay closed Sunday and people living within range of missile fire from Gaza told to stay near fortified buildings. The missile assault included 25 heavy Grads launched in several rounds at Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ofakim, Gan Yavneh, Kiryat Malachi and Eshkol farm district, causing substantial damage.
The fifth Grad missile to explode in Ashdod port town caused a fire between two high-rise residential buildings and after an empty school yard was hit. Three more landed in the Western Negev, another in Gan Yavneh causing minor injuries to one person and several shock cases, and two hits on empty ground in Ofakim. As Beersheba went on missile alert, three mortar rounds hit the Eshkol farm district.
From the first debkafile report:
An Israeli air strike against a Palestinian Jihad Islami camp near Rafah, southern Gaza, Saturday Oct. 29, killed Ahmad Sheikh Halil, head of its missile engineering and production arm and foiled another planned attack.
“Abu Khader” ranked high in the Jihad’s Al Qods unit. The Israel raid also killed five of his team members who Wednesday fired three Grad missiles from Hamas-ruled Gaza at Beer Tuvia and Gan Yavne.
Although only one Grad attack was reported in that first assault last Wednesday, our sources report that at least three missiles were actually aimed at undisclosed towns and at least one strategic site in southern Israel. debkafile’s military sources calculate that the first barrage was a range-finding run in preparation for a major offensive from a launching pad west of Rafah – probably against targets near Beersheba.
Those sources report that Saturday’s air strike was to have foiled this attack. The Jihad Islami’s immediate response was to hit back hours later with a massive missile offensive “deep inside Israel.”
According to debkafile’s sources, Jihad Islami is acting on orders from Tehran and Damascus to make trouble and provoke a fresh Hamas-Israel confrontation for the purpose of derailing the deal behind the Shalit prisoner swap which provides for the transfer of Hamas’ political headquarters out of the Syrian capital to Cairo and Amman.
The top-level Hamas desertion of Damascus would seriously undermine Bashar Assad at a time when he needs all the help he can get against the popular uprising against him. It would also deprive Iran of a strong Palestinian asset under its control.
The Israeli-Egyptian border north of Eilat is also on terror alert against the large Jihad Islami cell standing by in Sinai for some weeks waiting for the chance for a multiple-casualty-cum-abduction attack.
Gaza doesn’t have to be recognized as an independent state to be cut off, but even if they were Israel would be expected to keep them alive. They managed to survive from 48 to 67 without any Israeli aid and they can do it again. And if they can’t, even better.
Ultimately, Gaza should be turned into a parking lot. Urban renewal.
That says it all, Yam.
The future of Gaza:
I believe that Jewish Israel has a better chance for survival if Gaza and the West Bank are permanently severed from each other. Ultimately, Gaza should be annexed by Egypt, and Egypt held responsible for what happens in Gaza.
A first step might be for Jewish Israel to recognize Gaza as an independent state with an open border to the Mediterranean. Then, Jewish Israel can cut off Jewish supplies of oil, electricity and water to Gaza, and let the Jew-hating gentiles pay to maintain Gaza. When the muslim Gazans attack Jewish Israel (which they inevitably will), then Israel can treat it as an act of war. Israel can then destroy the Gazan infrastructure, which the Jew-hating gentiles paid for, and make them pay again to have it rebuilt.
Life may be cheap for the savage, primitive muslims, but they greatly value property and possessions.
Israelis like to deny reality because eradicating Hamas would be admitting the Disengagement policy was a catastrophic mistake.
They’re not ready to confront it and as long as Tel Aviv is not Hamas’ target, the brutal truth of the matter is on the Jewish Animal Farm, some Jewish lives are worth more than others.
Is about time common sense broke out, and a touch of realty would aso be welcome.
The total destruction of Israel and its Jews is the target of Hamas, fatah, Hizbolla, Iran, in fact most of the Arab world,so we deal with it,and stop living in denial.If the UN is antisemitic, tough but it is secondry problem.
Every time a Katusha comes from Gaza it costs around $200 and the Iron dome reply costs $50,000.It would therefore be more realistic to make Katushka’s and fire back ten for each one received.But the first step is to acknowledge the basic problem exists.
I wish it was a parody.
But this is a country that regards Ismail Haniyeh’s life as having more worth than Moshe Ami’s.
After all, doing anything different would bring the world’s wrath down on Israel’s timid leadership.
And Heaven knows, Israel can’t stand a bad press!
Israel Hits Murderous Office in Gaza
ISL – Gaza Updated
In another great military victory for the Israeli Defense Forces, an entire office, belonging to PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from the Hamas, was obliterated. Fortunately, the office was empty so no innocent terrorists were hurt in the daring, pre-dawn raid.
Minister of Defense Ehud Barak praised the Israeli Air Force which managed a direct hit at the terrorist office without damaging any other nearby innocent offices, “In accordance with international law Israel takes great care in preserving the lives of innocent buildings,” Barak said, “Even though in this case, as in many others, the vile terrorists hide their offices among many other, civilian offices”.
PM Haniyeh himself said that he was glad that the Israel destroyed his office, “I hated it – the color scheme was terrible and the view of Gaza city was even worse.”
The Palestinian PM also said that he already has prepared the plans for a new office which will be done in the Bauhaus style – I am a great fan of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe,” said the PM, “And I’m really excited about the new décor.”
Israeli PM BB Netanyahu praised the decisive action and especially pointed out the diligence of the forces in sparing the lives of Haniyeh and his henchmen, “Sooner or later we will have to talk with Haniyeh or someone like him so there is no point in killing him, in fact, it will only make matters worse,” said BB,
“‘Better the genocidal maniac you know’ is our policy,” said the PM.
The PM’s office is already preparing the Next Great 10-Year Peace Plan which will deeply involve the radical Hamas, “Nobody likes to be left out, especially dedicated anti-Semitic murderers and criminals like the Hamas so, in this respect, it is obvious that we have to bear some of the responsibility for the situation in Gaza,” BB said.
BB added that he hopes that the ritual hostilities will be over as quickly as possible so that the Peace talks between the parties can resume, “I need at least one Peace Conference a week or else I’m just not myself,” BB admitted.