Middle East Diary - 15 July 2014

"... even though Israel resumed bombing Gaza, it would stop if Hamas accepts the truce and that the coming hours are critical. If not, the military has a plan in place to significantly amp up its offensive, including a possible ground operation, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing military strategy.

On Tuesday evening, rocket sirens and blasts were heard in Tel Aviv, as Israel's "Iron Dome" missile defense system intercepted two rockets, according to the Israel Defense Forces Twitter account.

In addition, the military said three rockets were fired at the southern city of Eilat. The military did not immediately know who was behind the rocket fire." Foxnews

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It will be interesting to see who has more "sack" as the British say.  IMO the Israelis fear the losses they might suffer in a ground campaign.  OTOH the Gazan defense believes that it will gain a great deal politically from the kind of Israeli losses that Hizbullah inflicted on them in '06.   People in general are savages and respect the ability to kill one's opponents.  Media pictures of bombed buildings in Gaza often show reinforced concrete tunnels under them.  My suspicion is that these are part of an interlocked system that would enable the fighters to move around and emerge at pre-planned points to fight on ground organized for defense.  That worked well for Hizbullah.  Iranians taught Hizbullah to build that system and use it.  Hamas talks to Iran and has done so for a long time.  This evening LTC Lerner, the IDF spokesman, told Blitzer that they, too, have taken notice of these tunnels.  IMO the Israelis fear this possibility and may well decide to sit outside the city and pound it, pound it, pound it.  That will do nothing for Israel.  In a few years they will face Hamas again.  pl  

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/07/15/israel-cabinet-approves-gaza-cease-fire-egypt-offer/

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"... clashes have been ongoing in Jerusalem and Palestinian cities and towns inside the Green Line since the kidnapping and killing of teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir by settlers on July 2. The confrontations have expanded in scope, diversified and intensified.

On the ground, one can sense that the situation in the West Bank is rife with tension, as protests have spread throughout cities and towns. The clashes have been most violent in Bethlehem, Hebron, Jerusalem and Ramallah. During the July 11 protests, Palestinian youths set the Qalandia military checkpoint ablaze, which forced Israeli soldiers to briefly evacuate it and allow young Palestinian men to take control of it.

Al-Monitor noted that more than 30 towns and villages witnessed violent clashes on July 11-12, involving thousands of young people. Dozens of Palestinians were wounded by live ammunition and rubber bullets. One young man who participated in the clashes in front of the Bethel settlement told Al-Monitor, “We will rise against Israel. We will stage daily protests in front of Bethel and Awfar, and we will throw stones and Molotov cocktails.”"

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The possibility exists that a sympathetic response to the Gaza battle will spread to the West Bank,  Hizbullah and Europe.  You won't see much of this on the MSM.  pl

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/israel-war-west-bank-palestinians-clashes.html?utm_source=Al-Monitor+Newsletter+%5BEnglish%5D&utm_campaign=5e9aca7e97-July_15_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_28264b27a0-5e9aca7e97-93066749##ixzz37a1TTD9y 

 

Comments

[John Adamson]

"The possibility exists that a sympathetic response to the Gaza battle will spread to the West Bank, Hizbullah and Europe. You won't see much of this on the MSM. pl"

Gerald Celente of Trends Research agrees. He says, "Our clothing and consumer goods are made in China, but our news is made in Israel."

[alba etie]

All
The current armed conflict between the IDF and Hamas in Gaza would be appear to be a microcosm of what an armed conflict between the US military and the Iranians would become - and yet I hear in the GOP nominees more calls for Iran to be 'put in its place " . Its quite likely -IMO after eight years of President Obama the GOP will take back the White House in 20 16. We need to have a full throated debate about when & where we send our Military into harms way . We cannot afford another clusterf--ck like the Iraqi occupation .

[confusedponderer]

Todays FAZ front page featured a report (upper left side) that an Israel civilian was killed in Hamas rocket fire.

[jonst]

I think, in the short and medium run, i.e. half decades, the superior military and economic power has the upper hand in a war of attrition. This tendency (dynamic?), if I am correct in the first place, will be reenforced to the extent, over the next decade fossil fuel out of the ME becomes less important. I am not saying it WILL become less important. I am saying if it does...the status quo will harden. Attention will not be paid.

Not saying I would be happy for this outcome. Or rooting for it. Or it is the most just outcome, just giving my two cents.

[steve]

alba etie,

I think that any "full throated debate about when & where we send our Military into harms way" will unfortunately be a long time coming regardless of whether a dem or repub wins the whitehouse in 2016.

[Charles I]

The unity government's peace hopes are gone. I assume, without any evidence, that many of the hundreds arrested after the three murders were martyrs recently released under the peace process. The search and arrests killed at least five Palestinians and damaged many homes. What's not to resent, and resentment is a handy political tool as well as completely human. As is the appeal of the perceived underdog.

The MSM is preaching to its respective choirs while it is my understanding church attendance is down everywhere, no matter how devout the remaining flocks. The across the board Hamas hates Gazans meme may find traction there, but
the numbers, the math and the pictures are ugly. As well, and I did see the Hamas spokesman's retort about not negotiating through the media broadcast, for all any take note of it.

The Gazans and Hamas have nowhere to go, the unity government adroitly blasted to bits, even Israel fears the alternative.

Hamas is now the indispensable player/terrorist/champion/local government, the blooded existentially threatening underdog, filling the space in lieu of real jihadis, upon whom Israel's fate now depends, notwithstanding their sneaky cowardly immoral Ozian self hating dissembling from down in their their bunkers, the dirty rats. . .

[Andrew]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/16/witness-gaza-shelling-first-hand-account

Judeo-Nazis having fun again.

[Ryan]

"The possibility exists that a sympathetic response to the Gaza battle will spread to the West Bank, Hizbullah and Europe."

The third intifada, colonel.

"You won't see much of this on the MSM."

At this time I've heard two Israeli spokesmen asked about this. Judging by their answers this is a concern that will become a reality if the Israelis go deep into Gaza.

[Cee]

Col. Lang,

Your comments about the tunnels reminded me of Vietnam.

[Cee]

Jon Stewart on Comedy Central asked if the trapped in Gaza were supposed to SWIM to leave.

People get it.