Israel whacks Hamas commander in response to rocket attacks from Gaza

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**Frazzled**

The ME is so life affirming.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/top-hamas-commander-killed-israeli-airstrike-144004818.html

Israel launches Gaza offensive, kills Hamas commander
GAZA (Reuters) - Israel launched a major offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza on Wednesday, killing the military commander of Hamas in an air strike and threatening an invasion of the enclave that the Islamist group vowed would "open the gates of hell".

The onslaught shattered hopes that a truce mediated on Tuesday by Egypt could pull the two sides back from the brink of war after five days of escalating Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli strikes at militant targets.

Operation "Pillar of Defence" began with a surgical strike on a car carrying the commander of the military wing of Hamas, the Iranian-armed Islamist movement which controls Gaza and dominates a score of smaller armed groups.

Within minutes of the death of Ahmed Al-Jaabari, big explosions were rocking Gaza, as the Israeli air force struck at selected targets just before sundown, blasting plumes of smoke and debris high above the crowded city.

Panicking civilians ran for cover and the death toll mounted quickly. Nine people including three children were killed, the health ministry said, and about 40 people were wounded.

Army tanks shelled border areas of Gaza in south and the Israeli navy shelled a Hamas security position from the sea.

Hamas stuck back, firing at least four Grad rockets at the southern city of Beersheva in what it called its initial response. Israel reported damage but no casualties.

The escalation in Gaza came in a week when Israel fired at Syrian artillery positions it said had fired into the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights amid a civil war in Syria that has brought renewed instability to Lebanon.

Egypt, whose new Islamist government is still honoring the 1979 peace agreement with Israel, condemned the raids on Gaza as a threat to regional security and withdrew its ambassador from Israel. It also summoned the Israeli envoy to Cairo to deliver a protest and called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

Russia called for an end to the raids.

A second Gaza war has loomed on the horizon for months as waves of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli strikes grew increasingly more intense and frequent.

Israel's Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009 began with a week of air attacks and shelling, followed by a land invasion of the blockaded coastal strip, sealed off at sea by the Israeli navy. Some 1,400 Palestinians were killed and 13 Israelis died.

KILLED IN HIS CAR

Hamas said Jaabari, who ran the organization's armed wing, Izz el-Deen Al-Qassam, died along with a Hamas photographer when their car was blown apart by an Israeli missile.

The charred wreckage of a car could be seen belching flames, as emergency crews picked up what appeared to be body parts.

Israel confirmed it had carried out the attack and announced there was more to come. Reuters witnesses saw Hamas security compounds and police stations blasted apart.

"Today we relayed a clear message to the Hamas organization and other terrorist organizations," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "And if there is a need, the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) is prepared to broaden the operation. We will continue to do everything in order to protect our citizens."

Immediate calls for revenge were broadcast over Hamas radio.

"The occupation has opened the gates of hell," Hamas's armed wing said. Smaller groups also vowed to strike back.

"Israel has declared war on Gaza and they will bear the responsibility for the consequences," Islamic Jihad said.

Southern Israeli communities within rocket range of Gaza were on full alert, and schools were ordered closed for Thursday. About one million Israelis live in range of Gaza's relatively primitive but lethal rockets, supplemented in recent months by longer-range, more accurate systems.

"The days we face in the south will, in my estimation, prove protracted," Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai, Israel's chief military spokesman, told Channel 2 TV.

"The home front must brace itself resiliently."

Mordechai said Israel was both responding to a surge in Palestinian rocket salvoes earlier this week and trying to prevent Hamas and other Palestinian factions from building up their arsenals further.

Among the targets of Wednesday's air strikes were underground caches of longer-range Hamas rockets, he said.

Asked if Israel might send in ground forces, Mordechai said: "There are preparations, and if we are required to, the option of an entry by ground is available."

OBAMA BRIEFED

Israeli President Shimon Peres briefed U.S. President Barack Obama on the operation, Peres's office said in a statement. He told Obama that Jaabari was a "mass-murderer" and his killing was Israel's response to Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza.

"Israel is not interested in stoking the flames, but for the past five days there has been constant missile fire at Israel and mothers and children cannot sleep quietly at night," said Peres, who visited the border town of Sderot earlier.

In the flare-up that was prelude to Wednesday's offensive, more than 115 missiles were fired into southern Israel from Gaza and Israeli planes launched numerous strikes.

Seven Palestinians, three of them gunmen, were killed. Eight Israeli civilians were hurt by rocket fire and four soldiers wounded by an anti-tank missile.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi to call an emergency meeting of the League's Council to denounce "dangerous Israeli escalation and brutal aggression on our people in the Gaza Strip".

The leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, called on Arab states, especially Egypt, to halt the assault.

Egypt's foreign ministry condemned the Israeli strikes, saying any further escalation "could have negative repercussions on the security and stability of the region".

Israel's intelligence agency Shin Bet said Jaabari led Hamas' takeover of Gaza in 2007, when the militant Islamist group ousted fighters of the Fatah movement of its great rival, the Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

It said he instigated the attack that led to the capture of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit in a kidnap raid from Gaza in 2006. Jaabari was also the man who handed Shalit over to Israel in a prisoner exchange five years after his capture.

Israel holds a general election on January 22 and Netanyahu has pledged to retaliate harshly against Hamas. But Israel is also wary of the reaction from Mursi's Egypt, whose ruling Muslim Brotherhood is the spiritual mentor of Hamas.

Hamas has been emboldened by its rise to power, viewing Mursi as a "safety net" who will not permit a second Israeli thrashing of Gaza, home to 1.7 million Palestinians.

Hamas is also supported by Iran, which Israel regards as a rising threat to its own existence due to its nuclear program.

Helped by the contraband trade through tunnels from Egypt, Gaza militias have smuggled in better weapons.

But their estimated 35,000 Palestinian fighters are still no match for Israel's F-16 fighter-bombers, Apache helicopter gunships, Merkava tanks and other modern weapons systems in the hands of a conscript force of 175,000, with 450,000 in reserve.

(Additional reporting by Dan Williams, Crispian Balmer and Ori Lewis in Jerusalem; Writing by Douglas Hamilton; Editing by Giles Elgood)

**Ensis Ferrae**

I don't know why, but I have always loved Israel's response to the shenanigans of HAMAS, and other "terrorist" groups that hit them...

**Mr Hyena**

The legit response to terrorist attacks.

**LordofHats**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
I don't know why, but I have always loved Israel's response to the shenanigans of HAMAS, and other "terrorist" groups that hit them...

I wouldn't call them shenanigans. More like using a tomahawk missile to kill a really annoying fly who won't leave you alone when you're trying to eat.

**Frazzled**

LordofHats wrote:
Ensis Ferrae wrote:
I don't know why, but I have always loved Israel's response to the shenanigans of HAMAS, and other "terrorist" groups that hit them...

I wouldn't call them shenanigans. More like using a tomahawk missile to kill a really annoying fly who won't leave you alone when you're trying to eat.

More like using a tomahawk missile to kill guys firing other missiles into your country.

Why is Hamas shooting missiles into Israel again?

**LordofHats**

Oh their crazy. I don't have a problem with them striking Hamas.

My position is just that Israel is often times extremely heavy handed in how it deals with these attacks. They don't need to roll tanks through entire neighborhoods in what virtually amounts to a terror campaign to deal with terrorists.

**Ensis Ferrae**

Frazzled wrote:
LordofHats wrote:
Ensis Ferrae wrote:
I don't know why, but I have always loved Israel's response to the shenanigans of HAMAS, and other "terrorist" groups that hit them...

I wouldn't call them shenanigans. More like using a tomahawk missile to kill a really annoying fly who won't leave you alone when you're trying to eat.

More like using a tomahawk missile to kill guys firing other missiles into your country.

Why is Hamas shooting missiles into Israel again?

Umm, because they were sold out of Schwarma at the local Schwarma stand??

**whembly**

LordofHats wrote:
Oh their crazy. I don't have a problem with them striking Hamas.

My position is just that Israel is often times extremely heavy handed in how it deals with these attacks. They don't need to roll tanks through entire neighborhoods in what virtually amounts to a terror campaign to deal with terrorists.

I have no problem with heavy handed response.

We were accused of that during the Kosovo war... drove me nutso.

**Frazzled**

LordofHats wrote:
Oh their crazy. I don't have a problem with them striking Hamas.

My position is just that Israel is often times extremely heavy handed in how it deals with these attacks. They don't need to roll tanks through entire neighborhoods in what virtually amounts to a terror campaign to deal with terrorists.

Thats not heavy handed. Firebombing Gaza from stem to stern with fuel air bombs is heavy handed. Its all in the perspective.

**Da Boss**

Perhaps because aggressive israeli settlers keep taking more and more of their land? And because they are under an oppressive blockade that limits what supplies they have access to? There's more than 1 side to this whole thing and both have legitimate grievances.
Not a fan of Hamas, but elements on Israel's side are as bad.

**Ensis Ferrae**

I've always seen it as being rather fair-handed actually... I mean, in the past, Hamas has hit schools and other civilian buildings, buses and whatnot, and Israel, by and large has responded by hitting a directly military target in return... kind of a, flatten a school, we'll flatten your whole base sort of thing.

**Frazzled**

Da Boss wrote:
Perhaps because aggressive israeli settlers keep taking more and more of their land? And because they are under an oppressive blockade that limits what supplies they have access to? There's more than 1 side to this whole thing and both have legitimate grievances.
Not a fan of Hamas, but elements on Israel's side are as bad.

Evidently the blockade is not nearly oppressive enough if it can get thousands of missiles through. Just a thought.

Landwise I think you're thinking of the West Bank side. Thats where a lot of the hallabaloo about developments are coming from. Note I am not disagreeing with you on that, just which district.

Frazzled's solution:
Gaza you're completely utterly free. You're an independent country. But if you fire missiles into us, we carpet bomb everything and Gaza is now Israel.
West Bank. We'll freeze right here and give you $1.0Billion in recompense. You're a free country. But if you attack us, we carpret bomb everything and the West Bank is now Israel.
Deal?

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
I've always seen it as being rather fair-handed actually... I mean, in the past, Hamas has hit schools and other civilian buildings, buses and whatnot, and Israel, by and large has responded by hitting a directly military target in return... kind of a, flatten a school, we'll flatten your whole base sort of thing.

As noted, a proper Russian response would be much more...levelling...

Remember, in Stalinist Russia GRANDMA eats the Wolf!

**Pacific**

Frazzled wrote:
LordofHats wrote:
Ensis Ferrae wrote:
I don't know why, but I have always loved Israel's response to the shenanigans of HAMAS, and other "terrorist" groups that hit them...

I wouldn't call them shenanigans. More like using a tomahawk missile to kill a really annoying fly who won't leave you alone when you're trying to eat.

More like using a tomahawk missile to kill guys firing other missiles into your country.

Why is Hamas shooting missiles into Israel again?

Because the Israelis keep 'populating the hilltops', I believe the way it was phrased by Netanyahu.

**Frazzled**

??? Please clarify.

**Ensis Ferrae**

Frazzled wrote:
??? Please clarify.

I guess he's suggesting that by Israeli's "populating the hilltops" they are taking all the choicest lands for themselves, creating some perceived (and possibly real) advantage/disadvantage situations.

**AustonT**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:I don't know why, but I have always loved Israel's response to the shenanigans of HAMAS, and other "terrorist" groups that hit them...

I compare it roughly to ROK Marines in Vietnam. If they got ambushed a few times in the same village they came back with a bulldozer. There's something satisfying about retaliation.

Da Boss wrote:Perhaps because aggressive israeli settlers keep taking more and more of their land?

Really in Gaza? Since when.

**Palindrome**

Round and round we go, where it stops...probably never at this rate.

**Shotty**

The resistance of the palestinians is admirable, the zionists stole the palestinians land and some of them are fighting to get there land back .Would you not fight to get your country back if someone invaded ? i say to hell with zionists and there evil acts of murder and other crimes against mankind.

**whembly**

The IDF released these facts today:

Facts: Attacks on southern Israel
Attacks on Israeli towns and communities continue as you read this message:

+120 rockets have been fired at Israel this week.
+760 rockets have been fired at Israel in 2012.
+2500 rockets have been fired at Israel since 2009.
Terrorists hold more than 10,000 rockets in Gaza.
One million Israelis, 14% of the population, are under the threat of rocket fire.
That is equivalent to 44 million U.S. citizens under the threat of rocket fire.
Gaza terrorists targeted an IDF jeep this week, injuring four soldiers. (Video)
Hamas rules the Gaza strip and is responsible for all that occurs in Gaza and all that is launched form there.
Hamas, supported by Iran, has wielded authority over the Gaza Strip since 2007.

In my mind... the gloves need to come off.

The UN Security Council will hold a closed emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss Israeli strikes against the Gaza Strip, France said, as Israel threatened a wider offensive in the Palestinian enclave to stem rocket salvoes by Hamas militants. The French UN mission announced on its Twitter feed that the meeting would be a “closed private debate” beginning at 9:00 P.M. EST (0200 GMT Thursday). Council diplomats said Israeli and Palestinian envoys would speak at the meeting. (Reuters)

Here's a live blog reporting the ongoing attacks(pretty informative): http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/live-blog-israel-launches-military-operation-in-gaza-1.477850

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Woah... just saw this on twittah:

We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead.

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) November 14, 2012

**KalashnikovMarine**

The annoying thing is that Hamas launches an offensive, then tries to act like the wounded party when the Israelis return the favor. Usually ducking behind the "Oh oh we're gonna call for peace talks! Really!" flag.

For the actually killing of the scum bag du jour. Good effect on target, clear to repeat. Just to be sure.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

whembly wrote:

Woah... just saw this on twittah:

We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead.

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) November 14, 2012

Gotta love the IDF "We're coming, run or die, it doesn't matter to us"

**whembly**

I'm just wigging out that they're using twitter to do that!

Can you imagine the twitter wars in previous wars?

Think about it... had Patton/Sherman used twitter... quotes galore!

Who said this... Patton?
"We're surrounded sir! " Gen: "Good, now we know where they are!" Man...

**Goliath**

whembly wrote:

+120 rockets have been fired at Israel this week.
+760 rockets have been fired at Israel in 2012.
+2500 rockets have been fired at Israel since 2009.
Terrorists hold more than 10,000 rockets in Gaza.
One million Israelis, 14% of the population, are under the threat of rocket fire.
That is equivalent to 44 million U.S. citizens under the threat of rocket fire.
Gaza terrorists targeted an IDF jeep this week, injuring four soldiers. (Video)
Hamas rules the Gaza strip and is responsible for all that occurs in Gaza and all that is launched form there.
Hamas, supported by Iran, has wielded authority over the Gaza Strip since 2007.

I find this interesting for a few reasons:

They only mention the number of rockets fired, not how many people have actually been injured or killed by them.

They don't mention how much crap they've rained down on Gaza (in the form of rockets and missiles and other assorted explosive stuff)

It seems written specifically to appeal to the US (equivalent to 44 million US citizens, making sure to mention Iran)

Also the logical leap to go from 14% of Israel can be targeted to 44 million US citizens can be targeted is pretty substantial, and requires a logical run-up and logical spring shoes.

**whembly**

KK... thanks>

It's a paraphrased quote of Chesty Puller

"We're surrounded, that simplifies the problem"

another example:

"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us. They can't get away this time."

I swear... he's channeling some Ork strategies there...

That's the way I play!

**Cryonicleech**

Still waiting for Israel to finally make the move.

*grabs popcorn*

**Seaward**

Shotty wrote:
The resistance of the palestinians is admirable, the zionists stole the palestinians land and some of them are fighting to get there land back .Would you not fight to get your country back if someone invaded ? i say to hell with zionists and there evil acts of murder and other crimes against mankind.

Sure. But if I was fighting for my land for half a century and only succeeding in making my situation worse, I'd conclude I was a piss-poor strategist who had no idea what the hell I was doing, and move to Sweden or something.

**Albatross**

Goliath wrote:
whembly wrote:

+120 rockets have been fired at Israel this week.
+760 rockets have been fired at Israel in 2012.
+2500 rockets have been fired at Israel since 2009.
Terrorists hold more than 10,000 rockets in Gaza.
One million Israelis, 14% of the population, are under the threat of rocket fire.
That is equivalent to 44 million U.S. citizens under the threat of rocket fire.
Gaza terrorists targeted an IDF jeep this week, injuring four soldiers. (Video)
Hamas rules the Gaza strip and is responsible for all that occurs in Gaza and all that is launched form there.
Hamas, supported by Iran, has wielded authority over the Gaza Strip since 2007.

I find this interesting for a few reasons:

They only mention the number of rockets fired, not how many people have actually been injured or killed by them.

They don't mention how much crap they've rained down on Gaza (in the form of rockets and missiles and other assorted explosive stuff)

It seems written specifically to appeal to the US (equivalent to 44 million US citizens, making sure to mention Iran)

Also the logical leap to go from 14% of Israel can be targeted to 44 million US citizens can be targeted is pretty substantial, and requires a logical run-up and logical spring shoes.

Not to mention the fact that I read a report stating that only one rocket got through the 'Iron Dome' system, injuring several people. It's crazy that the IDF and al-Qassam brigades are live tweeting each other as the conflict is ongoing.

**Ensis Ferrae**

Ohh man... the snarky, sarcastic remarks that you could do on twitter.... i mean, right before Israel fires artillery back at Hamas,They should tweet: Happy Hanukah, MoFos!!

**Frazzled**

AustonT wrote:
Ensis Ferrae wrote:I don't know why, but I have always loved Israel's response to the shenanigans of HAMAS, and other "terrorist" groups that hit them...

I compare it roughly to ROK Marines in Vietnam. If they got ambushed a few times in the same village they came back with a bulldozer. There's something satisfying about retaliation.

Da Boss wrote:Perhaps because aggressive israeli settlers keep taking more and more of their land?

Really in Gaza? Since when.

Agreed. I've not heard of that at all in Gaza. I have heard of that on the West Bank, but the two are now practically separate countries now.

So how's my plan? Gaza gets complete independence, but then has to act like or the hammer falls absolutely?

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Shotty wrote:
The resistance of the palestinians is admirable, the zionists stole the palestinians land and some of them are fighting to get there land back .Would you not fight to get your country back if someone invaded ? i say to hell with zionists and there evil acts of murder and other crimes against mankind.

So you're down with rocketing school child. Got it.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Seaward wrote:
Shotty wrote:
The resistance of the palestinians is admirable, the zionists stole the palestinians land and some of them are fighting to get there land back .Would you not fight to get your country back if someone invaded ? i say to hell with zionists and there evil acts of murder and other crimes against mankind.

Sure. But if I was fighting for my land for half a century and only succeeding in making my situation worse, I'd conclude I was a piss-poor strategist who had no idea what the hell I was doing, and move to Sweden or something.

Yep. Other than complete obliteration of one side or the other (which frankly was the time honored tradition in that region) is there a way to stop?
As an American all I can say as - quit supporting ALL of them and let them do what they do. IN this instance I'm actually in agreement if Obama is trying a foreign policy pivot back to Asia.

**BolingbrokeIV**

I fully support Israels methods in trying to maintain a peaceful existence for their citizens.

**AustonT**

Frazzled wrote:

Agreed. I've not heard of that at all in Gaza. I have heard of that on the West Bank, but the two are now practically separate countries now.

So how's my plan? Gaza gets complete independence, but then has to act like or the hammer falls absolutely?

Gaza did split with the West Bank a few years ago. Shortly after the unilateral disengagement, which I strongly suspect was always to make it easier to go after the Palestinians when they acted up again.