Israel v. Hamas, Day 3

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2008-12-29 08:09:00
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It's Day 3 of the Desert Smackdown. Hamas is launching rockets, Iran is stepping up its rhetoric, and Egypt and Hamas are going at it. Word is coming in of IAF action. The Hez Heads are chattering but doing nothing. As the day progresses, and as I speculated yesterday, things are changing. Israel seems to be preparing for a ground offensive. The press is out of the front lines. Hundreds of tanks are amassed. The rocket launchers can only be removed with a ground offensive.

Latest Update: 111 - Last update: Wires very quiet. Odd since it is 0633 local time, and the air assault began again just after 0200.

For earlier activtity, see Day 2, Updates 48 to 83 and Day 1, Updates 0 to 47 For subsequent activity, pick up with Update 112 here.

UPDATE 111. The 0200 Tuesday air assault was against at least five Hamas government buildings. Wires quiet since then. Since Hamas continues to continues to lob rockets, it seems a ground assault is necessary. We had previous reports of IDF commandos operating within Gaza. And we have had way too many reports of tanks and troops amassing, and then the military zone declared. Too obvious to be the launching point. Somewhere else, perhaps from the sea, will be the area. Israel has been using ships to bombard Gaza - why not have troops there, too?

UPDATE 110. Official IDF website. Information, pics, videos. Worth following.

UPDATE 109. This is embarassing. Hamas admits to smuggling "tons of explosives and missiles across the border with Egypt." Further, "A former Palestinian Authority security official estimated that Izaddin Kassam has over 20,000 rockets and mortars, as well as tens of thousands of tons of explosives."

So they are admitting to preparing for war the entire time - while thinking that they are just persuading Israeli soldiers to fear them. They also admit to having many tunnels.

Thank you for all that! Time to lay waste to the Strip with Bunker Busters.

You people are idiots.

UPDATE 108. Ground incursion is set. Rockets will stop or ground will be scorched.

UPDATE 107. IAF planes strike multiple targets throughout Gaza. Full text of article: IAF warplanes struck multiple targets throughout the Gaza Strip early Tuesday morning. / It was not yet clear what was bombed. The army hadn't immediately responded to the report. Strikes confirmed in the headlines of Debka. More details from J'Post. Prelude to a ground incursion?

UPDATE 106. A Popular Resistance Committee spokesidiot asks for a ground invasion. I think we should give it to him.

These people truly are as stupid as they act.

UPDATE 105. Tossed in the speculation of who will take charge post-Hamas is this wonderful news: The general feeling on the streets of the Gaza Strip on Sunday night was that the countdown to the collapse of the Hamas regime had begun. As one local journalist put it, "We don't know who's in control of the Gaza Strip. The feeling is that the Hamas regime is crumbling."

Hamas has shown weakness. That is a career-limiting move in the Arab world. But it is claimed that the Palestinians do not like the PA either. So the speculation is that some other nasty group will come in - either Islamic Jihad or al-Qaida. I truly doubt it. Israel will not sit and watch that happen.

UPDATE 104. Al Jareeza reports that Israel has been getting bombed - but no mention of Hamas' demand (rational) that the closed border must be opened. That is Hamas' main bitch about why they had to bomb. First, of course, it is a lie, but more importantly, Al Jareeza is not towing the Hamas line. This suggests that Arabs in general are not towing the Hamas line. Notice also that the Hez Heads in Lebanon have been quiet for hours.

Are the Arabs willing to talk a good game but let Hamas fall on the sword of their own making? It shows as much a dislike for Hamas as it does fear of Israel. Poor Hamas.

UPDATE 103. This carries all the weight of an empty bag. These idiots sit back and do nothing while Hamas bombs Israel - after Hamas itself declared the ceasefire over - and now they have the unmitigated gall to suggest that Israel is overreacting?

Go. Away. Little. Man.

UPDATE 102. This virtually assures a ground operation. Rockets continue.

UPDATE 101. Hamas begs Israel to stop. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has said he is ready to sign a ceasefire agreement for Gaza that would involve Israel ending its attacks and its blockade of the territory, Senegal's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Here's how to interpret such drivel: "The concept of a complete ceasefire is desired by us (Hamas). We can negotiate over the terms."

Too late, Khaled.

UPDATE 100. UN ambassador: Israel seeks to 'destroy' Hamas Full text of article: Israel's ambassador to the United Nations says the goal of the current offensive in the Gaza Strip is much broader than ending Palestinian rocket attacks. She says Israel wants to destroy Hamas. / In an interview Tuesday, Ambassador Gabriela Shalev said Israel's main goal is to "destroy completely" what she called a "terrorist gang." / She would not explicitly say that Israel wants to topple the Hamas government. But she said a return to the terms of a recent six-month truce would not be enough. / Shalev says Israel wants stronger assurances that the rocket fire will stop.

I think destroying Hamas falls under the "stronger assurance" rubric. But - odd - the article reads "in an interview Tuesday." It is Monday both here and in Israel. Hunh. The article comes from J'Post, but I wonder if it is a fraud.

UPDATE 99: This is just pathetic. Abu Marzouk (a senior exiled Hamas official) pledged his group will not surrender and promised to face any Israeli ground invasion. / "We are going to defend ourselves, defend our people and defend our land," he said.

What's this "we" stuff, pup? You sit wherever and tell a bunch of disillusioned boys to die for you? How are you going to stand up to an Israeli ground invasion? By throwing sticks and stones? By hurling little kids under tanks, taking pictures, and crying to the world?

It is my sincere hope that your exile ends dramatically and soon. Maybe Mossad can come a knockin'?

UPDATE 98: Full text of article. Jerusalem offers discounts to southern Israel residents: The Jerusalem Municipality announced Monday an array of cultural and tourist discounts exclusively for residents of southern Israel battered by Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza. / The benefits included free entrance to 15 cultural institutions in the city and 50 percent off entry to 20 others, as well as hotel discounts ranging from 25-50%, the city said. / The city is also arranging outings in the capital, and hosting families who want to get away from the rocket attacks from Gaza.

UPDATE 97: Article covers a few days of news, mainly concerning the Hizbullah (Hez Heads) response.. First, it is all talk. Second, I love the site - a newspaper in Lebanon. I got two ads of interest: Arab girls for love and marriage, and "Who's the new judge on American Idol? Click to find out!" They hate us, right? The article seems to say so. Yet they'll off their women to us and watch hour TV.

UPDATE 96: Air Force Destroys Attack Tunnel. Full text of article: "Among the Gaza targets destroyed by the Israel Air Force on Monday was a tunnel intended for use as a route for terrorists to use to carry out an attack within Israel's pre-1967 borders. / According to a number of sources in the Israel Defense Forces, a number of terrorists were killed in the tunnel."

Reminds me of going rat hunting at the local junkyard.

UPDATE 95: Opinion piece: Who speaks for the Gazans? I expected less out of this from the title, but it is well-written. The piece he misses, however, is that the Gazans spoke for themselves as they sat silently and let the rockets be lobbed at Israel, as they voted Hamas into political power. The Gazans spoke for themselves. This is a mess as much of their own creation as it is the Hamas girl-from-the-hood terrorists.

UPDATE 94: Monday's IAF targets. "Strikes early on Monday afternoon destroyed a Hamas outpost in southern Gaza City and a Hamas training camp in central Gaza. Death tolls were much lower than in previous strikes, as most terrorists have fled Hamas outposts and gone into hiding. One Fatah terrorist was killed." More in the article.

UPDATE 93: 12 reportedly killed in series of IAF strikes in Gaza. FTA: IAF aircraft on Monday night struck the house of Maher Zakut, a senior Hamas activist, the army said. In was unclear whether Zakut was in the house at the time. Palestinian sources said that seven people were killed in the strike. According to reports, several more targets were struck in the Strip. / Several secondary explosions were caused by the strike because of a large weapons warehouse alongside the senior operative's house.

Nice.

UPDATE 92: Hamas: No truce before Israel stops attacks. FTA: "A senior exiled Hamas official has rejected any talk of a new truce with Israel unless all attacks on Gaza cease and the border crossings are reopened." It is to laugh. Glad you won't negotiate. Burn in Hell.

UPDATE 91: Ehud is not mincing words: War to the death. The IDF positioned hundreds of tanks along the Gaza separation barrier Monday as the Air Force resumed aerial attacks on terrorist targets throughout Gaza. Israeli gunboats fired several missiles towards the Gaza coast. Arab sources said that several people were killed or wounded, including several terrorists who were hiding in mosques. / The IDF also declared the area near Gaza Belt communities a closed military zone, leading to speculation that a ground invasion is near. Israel ordered journalists out of areas abutting the Gaza Strip border on Monday, citing the risk of terrorist rocket fire, but the move also keeps the media from reporting on troop movements.

UPDATE 90: Ground attack ready: The planners of the Israeli air offensive turned Monday to "second-tier" targets, such as Hamas' political offices and wings of the Islamic University in Gaza City, after its high-profile leaders went into hiding in the underground bunker network designed by an Iranian general deep under the surface of the Gaza Strip. / They can only be dug out by special forces and armored units on the ground.

Four Islamic Jihad terrorists and an eight-year-old son of one of the men were killed as the IAF continued its assault on Gaza targets on Monday afternoon.

Nasrallah (the head Hez Head) Calls for Overthrow in Egypt.

UPDATE 89: Ehud speaks strongly to MP, telling them this is all-out war against "Hamas and its kind." Does that include the Hezzies up north? One can only hope so. Which would also mean a significant West Bank operation.

UPDATE 88: Egypt is very cranky over this situation - and it ain't towards Israel: Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit responded to criticism by Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday, saying that "They have practically declared war on Egypt via several satellite stations."

UPDATE 87: This article is an update to 84 below. 50 missiles lobbed by Hamas using handy-dandy Iranian rubber bands. The problem is that they get lucky sometimes - 50 projectiles, 1 killed, 14 hurt. A while bunch of people probably scared.

To stop this nuisance is the entire reason we went to war. Ehud needs to stop this from happening. Will it take a ground force? Is this where we continue to fight for weeks until Russia says, "I can help!"

UPDATE 86: Iran talking badly, but you need to read closely to see the wimp factor emerge. Let's look at them ...

First words: A "spokesman said Iran had embarked on preparations for operations against Israel in line with the directives laid down by supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khameini in his speech Sunday."

Second words: A group of hardline clerics is signing up volunteers to fight "against the Zionist regime" in the Gaza Strip "in either military, financial or propaganda fields.

Yeah, OK. So they continue their propaganda and also refuse to do business with Israel, then they satisfy the fatwa. These people are a joke.

UPDATE 85: Hamas is not making friends in Egypt: As Gazans began to enter Egypt, Egyptian forces exchanged fire with Hamas gunmen. One Egyptian border policeman and one Hamas terrorist were killed in the firefight.

UPDATE 84: One Israeli killed by missile. Hamas got lucky.

Earlier updates: Day 2, Updates 48 to 83 and Day 1, Updates 0 to 47. For subsequent activity, pick up with Update 112 here.

Tags: Israel, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Operation Cast Lead, 

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