It started with an apparent IDF intel-gathering operation in Gaza which went wrong and was discovered. An IDF special forces officer was killed, and in the ensuing firefight the IDF managed to kill 7 Hamas terrorists including, luckily, one of their commanders, Nur Barakeh, who was a biggie in their tunnel building operations.
Hamas retaliated with some rocket fire and the IDF reacted to that, the usual tit-for-tat, and that was it. We thought.
Suddenly, at around 4 pm this afternoon (around 5 hours ago) with no warning and no provocation, Hamas and its allies suddenly opened fire on Israel with a massive barrage of rockets and missiles into the south of Israel. Within the space of one hour over 100 missiles were fired! Since the beginning of the barrage at around 4 p.m., over 200 missiles and rockets have been fired into Israel causing serious damage.
In the first hour over 100 rockets were fired into Israel. More than another 100 - who can count any more? - have been shot causing direct hits to houses in Ashkelon and Netivot.
The Red Alert app on my phone has been lit up like a fairground for hours. The rockets are still incoming as I type. I myself am safe in the center of the country, but my compatriots are not and I am furious!
I’m in #Sderot where residents tell me that the college town was hit by at least 5 rockets. One struck a warehouse belonging to a bakery, destroying it completely pic.twitter.com/qGWpaOS2rJ— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) November 12, 2018
There was also a direct hit by a Kornet anti-tank missile on a bus which minutes earlier was carrying 50 soldiers, seriously injuring one of the soldiers; and generally there has been tons of other property damage across the south with several Israeli citizens injured.
#Israeli Arab/Muslim bus driver is brought into trauma center after his bus received a direct hit from anti-tank missile from Gaza. He says "God loves the #Jews, minutes before before my bus was hit 50 Israeli soldiers de-boarded, they all would have died, its a miracle". pic.twitter.com/7aPjK4ALXP— David Ha'ivri 🇮🇱 دفيذ هعيفري (@haivri) November 12, 2018
RAW FOOTAGE: The skies of southern Israel RIGHT NOW. Dozens of rockets are being fired from #Gaza at Israeli civilians. pic.twitter.com/Iu6QwzUo8l— Israel Defense Forces (@IDFSpokesperson) November 12, 2018
This seems to be the most apt response so far:
A reminder before usual rote "reporting" on inevitable results of #Israel defending itself: #Hamas spent past 8 months burning thousands of dunams, launching IED's designed to attract & kill kids and launching rockets at civilians in Israel. NO other country would tolerate this.— David Abramovitz (@sliv_the_eli) November 12, 2018
We are fed up with our government who seems to be trying to manage the situation rather than solving it once and for all. The residents of the south have no life, and have had no life for over 6 months while incendiary kites and balloons have been launched from Gaza across the border, burning thousands of acres of farmland and nature reserves, killing wildlife and plants. But not a squeak from the international community.
You'll only hear the squeaks and squawks when "Israel hits back first".
Sigh...
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about you so much the last few days Anne. And praying that you and your family stay safe. It's completely outrageous (again) that the rest of the world not only doesn't condemn this blatant, deadly aggression, but BLAMES Israel when she tries to defend herself.
As much as I love Bibi, I share the frustration you have with the Israeli government. The whole world knows that Israel could annihilate "Palestine" if they wanted to. But we know they won't. However, this kind of wanton attack needs a much harsher response than the one that is being offered. Really, what's to lose? The world hates and condemns Israel anyway, why not give them something to really froth at the mouth about.
Stay safe dear friend.
Thank you for your sweet thoughts. We ourselves were pretty safe in the center of the country but I can't help being outraged on behalf of my southern compatriots. I just cannot *bear* how craven and cowardly Bibi has turned out to be.
DeleteAnd if there is a genuine reason then he should stand up and address the nation and explain the reason for giving in to a ceasefire within 24 hours after *400 ROCKETS* were shot at us!!
I cannot remember a similar situation in the past.It used to be that we would be forced into a ceasefire and we would drag it out to the last possible minute. Yesterday Bibi practically jumped at the chance.
Is he being blackmailed? we are all at a loss. Even the normally wishy washy Jerusalem Post was angry.
I agree with Fay; what's to lose? Why would Bibi put up with this constant barrage?
ReplyDeleteThe left will shriek and point no matter what you do.
Here in the US we have our own battles, though thankfully with no missiles (so far). Election fraud and blatant corruption are pretty tame compared to hunkering in bomb shelters. I'm praying for your family's safety, and that of all Israel.
Thanks Lady Red. See my comment above to Fay.
DeleteI think Israel should simply say, “Do you really want ask to be as bad as you say we are? You have 24 hours to decide.”
ReplyDeleteI agree! But we don't and that is what is infuriating all of us. I am so angry I feel physically sick.
Deleteannie, thank you for posting – I gotta crash this sec but I will return because your coverage is the best. (I know that's a low bar. Forgive me!)
ReplyDeleteI had known something was coming from the "battlespace preparation" – the ritual left-activist demonization of Israel that happens -before- the rockets fall, by months and weeks.
No, no coordination there.
I'm not sure about your predictions Lewy. The demonization of Israel from the left is a 24/7 occupation (oops, scuse the pun). And rocketing Israel is also a 24/7 obsession with the Palestinians. So actually, this time I don't think there was any coordination. They just feed off each other all the time.
DeleteI think if anything the left are inspired by the terrorists rather than the other way round.
I just heard that Lieberman resigned. Wow. That's a HUGE show of "no confidence" in Bibi. What are you hearing there Anne?
ReplyDeleteTeh country is in mild hysteria. We are all, left, right and center, FURIOUS at Bibi. There was no vote in the security cabinet meeting which went on for 8 hours (!!). Most of the members did NOT want a ceasefire, but Bibi imposed his will on them all and went for it.
DeleteSo he's not only yellow, but a dictator too. As someone on Twitter said, we've turned into Cuba. Might as well call Bibi Fidel.
We cannot understand what has gotten into him.
He has always talked a better talk than walking the walk. But this has gone beyond anything we've ever experienced.
As I said above, we usually have to be forced into a ceasefire. Yesterday it seemed that Bibi couldn't jump into it quick enough.
It makes us sick to see the Gazans holding victory rallies - and for a change they are right. They held the country hostage, and played us like a fiddle.
The southern residents are livid and are determined to distrupt traffic and life in the center - and I sympathise with them 100%. If they can't live peaceful normal lives why should any of us? We are all equal citizens, their blood is no less red than ours.
But beyond all of this Bibi owes us an explanation. He almost never addresses the nation - yes, Mr. Big Talk, who appears on every foreign news channel, is hardly ever on Israeli TV. He must go on live TV and address the nation and explain what on earth he imposed the ceasefire on us for after such a short period.
The army hadn't even BEGUN to fight back! Hitting a few empty buildings is a load of crap. There wasn't even a show of trying to kill Hamas leaders. Bombing their TV stations is bullsh!t. They were back on air within 30 minutes from a backup site. So what was the point?
Israel doesn't do "security theater". We either do it properly or not at all.
So what the HELL is going on?
Good for Liberman for resigning, though he has not been much use as a Defence Minister. Tehn again Bibi didn't allow him enough power to be effective.
We would like Naftali Bennett to get the Defence portfolio but Bibi will probably keep it for himself, as he has with the Foreign Ministry, health, housing, who knows what else.
Fidel, as I said.
Time for elections. I don't know who I would vote for, but definitely not Bibi. I've been disillusioned with him for ages. This has been the last straw.
Probably 90% of Israelis feel the same, judging from reactions at work, on the radio, everywhere.
I should add that the UN hadn't even begun to get its act together to condemn us or even call for restraint. The Europeans are too busy with their own Muslim problem. And Trump is totally with us. Probably more on our side than Bibi!
DeleteSo again, what was the ceasefire all about?
I am so angry I feel my heart pounding. God knows what my blood pressure is.
What I always think of in these situations: is it possible that he knows something we don't?
DeleteWhat I've begun to acknowledge lately, as I get on in years: is it possible he was always a schmuck, and we missed it, because we liked his politics?
Bibi is interesting for me. I hated him when I was still neoliberal mainstream in the 90s. But post intafada 2.0, post 9/11, I found "strange new respect" as the saying goes.
(Mostly that means I understood how I'd been conned about him by the Left.)
And yet, here we are. Schmuck all along? Maybe?
Caroline Glick's article explains the situation better than anyone I've read so far.
DeleteIt makes the most sense and chimes with what most Israelis understand.
Bibi is probably being over-cautious but not without reason. Go and read it.
Done, annie - thanks.
DeleteWhat makes sense is that the IDF had nothing to offer, and the cabinet - and Bibi - wisely but painfully acknowledged the reality of the situation.
Thanks for your insights Anne. It's worse than I thought.
ReplyDeleteI've heard rumblings for quite some time that Netanyahu is being blackmailed. It's interesting that he's not on Israeli TV as much as he's on TV here.
The ceasefire is definitely an Arab win. They pummeled the south with very little retaliation. And when they're done celebrating, they'll do it again.