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Israeli-Hamas-Battle the Latest Doomed Clash
by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700
Copyright
July 12, 2014
All Rights Reserved.
Showing heroism to the Arab street, the Gaza-based
Palestinian militant group Hamas acts for 78-year-old Mahmoud Abbas ‘s Ramallah
based Palestinian Authority, engaging Israel in the latest battle. Every Palestinian that dies in
Israeli counterattacks in response to Hamas rocket fire becomes the latest media
martyrs, furthering the Palestinian cause at the expense of civilians. Every Palestinian woman or child
that dies helps bolster the Palestinian cause, gaining kudos for Gaza’s Hamas
leader 52-year-old Ismail Haniyeh.
With the Palestinian death toll rising to 120, a chorus of protest grows at the
U.N.. Like other past wars with
Hamas, the international community can take only so much carnage before
pressuring both sides for a ceasefire.
Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system has intercepted hundreds of
Hamas rockets, making the current rocket attack essentially useless.
Hamas hopes that sooner-or-later, at least one rocket will hit a
value-rich Israeli target inflicting maximum casualties. So far Hamas has engaged in a
throwaway rocket attack with most rockets and missiles dropping harmlessly into
open fields. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to degrade Hamas’s Gaza-based rocket-making and
launching capabilities, something he tried back in 2012. Before Hamas joined the PLO April
23, Abbas could claim Hamas acted alone in their ongoing war against the Jewish
State. Now that they’re joined at
the hip, the White House can no longer make the same excuses, that somehow Abbas
wasn’t involved in the current rocket war against Israel. Gaza Health Ministry spokesman
Ashraf al-Kidra confirmed the latest 120 death and 920 casualties on
Palestinians civilians. Whether
factual or not, it’s duly noted in the Arab press and at the U.N.
Hitting Hamas hard in Gaza, Israeli Defense Forces hopes to offset recent
gains in rocket and guided missile capability.
“We have accumulated achievements as far as the price Hamas is paying and
we are continue to destroy significant targets of it and other terror
organizations,” said Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon. Yaalon knows that Israeli has only
limited time to degrade Hamas’s ballistic capability before international
outrage forces Tel Aviv into a ceasefire.
Going after Hamas’s rocket facilities in civilian and religious sites
cause condemnation in world press.
“We will continue to punish it until quiet and security returns to southern
Israel and the rest of the country,” said Yaalon, showing no signs of letting
up. Announcing that Israeli
air-strikes destroyed two mosques in Gaza, Hamas hoped to milk the PR war,
blaming Israeli for going after Islam, not Hamas militants.
As the war drags on in Gaza, the PR battle rages on.. “The bombing of the two mosques in
Gaza overnight shows how barbaric this enemy is and ho much is hostile to
Islam,” said Hamas spokesman Husam Badran in Doha, Qatar. Whether manufactured or not, the
Hamas PR war hopes to rally Islam to the Palestinian cause, no matter what the
damage to Gaza’s beleaguered civilian population. “This terrorism give us the right to
broaden our response to deter the occupier,” said Badran, taking his cues from
other propagandists. Hiding rockets
and launchers in mosques and civilian center is bound elicit more collateral
damage, especially as Israel fights the war from 30,000 feet. However Hamas calculates
bomb-damage-assessment, the media doesn’t bother checking whether or not it’s
factual. Highlighting collateral
damage puts on pressure on both sides for a ceasefire.
White House officials must confirm with Abbas in Ramallah that they
endorse, back and support Hamas’s rocket war on Israel. Frustrated by a lack of progress on
a peace deal, Abbas joined with Hamas to put military pressure on Israel for
more concessions. When Netanyahu
refused to release more Palestinian prisoners, including 55-year-old Hamas
leader Marwan Barghouti, Abbas gave Haniyeh the green light to began a new
intifada or uprising, this time with rocket attacks. “Whoever thinks Hamaa’s ammunition
will run out in days, weeks or months is delusional. We have lots in our pocket,” said
senior Hamas official Mushir al-Masri.
“We want to bring you to your knees and achieve victory,” said Masri,
showing the real delusion that Hamas can somehow conquer Israel. Talking tough wins Hamas plaudits on the street, despite driving Gaza into the Stone Age.
No matter what the death toll in Gaza, keeping up Israel’s bombardment
helps Hamas’s propaganda battle against the Jewish State. More casualties build support on the
street and condemnation in the U.N.
“Hamas is extremely weak now.
Weaker than ever before. It
capitulated entirely to Abbas’s demands in forming a reconciliation government. Gaza is in economic crisis. Hamas is bankrupt and doesn’t have a
friend left in the world,” said Gershon Baskin, an Israeli peace activist and
analyst. What Baskin forgets is
that Hamas’s best friend now in Abbas and the PLO. Now serving as Abbas’s military
wing, Hamas plays a vital role in forcing Israel into making more peace
concessions. “Our backs are to the
wall and we have nothing to lose,” said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri, hoping
that more casualties in Gaza mobilizes donors to give Hamas more cash.
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