Gaza At War Again After Militants Fire Rockets Into Israel And The Jewish State Responds, Killing A Ten-Year-Old Palestinian In Mosque Air Strike -- Daily Mail
* At least 10 rockets fired into Israel as negotiators failed to extend ceasefire which expired at 8am today (5am GMT)
* Israel declared truce over and hit 'terror sites' in new strikes as minister warned ground troops could invade again
* Wave of attacks from land, air and sea hit Nour al-Mohammadi Mosque in Gaza City, killing boy and wounding five
* Palestinian factions negotiated until 4am but would not extend truce unless Israel ended its blockade on Gaza
* Conflict began a month ago today and has killed 1,875 Palestinians and 67 Israelis including 64 soldiers
Gaza is at war once more after militants blasted rockets into Israel and the military hit back - launching a string of strikes which killed a 10-year-old boy at a mosque.
Palestinian families fled their bombed-out homes this morning as Israel claimed Hamas fired at least 18 rockets from Gaza at the end of a tense 72-hour ceasefire, which negotiators failed to extend.
And three hours after the truce ended Israel announced it was renewing its military campaign, hitting what it called 'terror sites' across Gaza with a fresh wave of air strikes, gunboats and tank fire.
Most of the strikes hit empty fields but one struck the grounds of the Nour al-Mohammadi Mosque in Gaza City - killing a 10-year-old boy and wounding five, one of them critically.
Read more ....
MIDDLE EAST
Israel's military told to 'forcefully react' as cease-fire ends.
Israel exits peace talks with Hamas.
US warplanes hit Islamic State group in Iraq. US fighters pound militants in northern Iraq. Iraq: US air strike on Islamic State militants in Iraq. Israel carries out strikes on Gaza after rocket fire resumes.
Turkey steps up aid to northern Iraq; not involved in U.S. strikes.
Sistani calls on Iraqis to unite against Islamic State danger.
FAA bans US airline flights over Iraq due to conflict. Turkish Airlines says cancels flights to Arbil due to security concerns.
Syrian Islamist rebels 'withdraw from Lebanese town after truce'.
Militants say seeking prisoner swap with Lebanon.
Toll hits 25 as Yemen troops clash with militants.
ASIA
Afghans sign unity government deal with US backing. Afghan poll rivals sign unity government deal.
China says Japan fighter jets shadowed its planes over disputed waters. China sails into Japanese waters after 'threat'.
South China Sea row looms as Southeast Asia talks begin.
McCain confident of support for easing arms embargo on Vietnam.
Cambodia political foes vow to honor truce as lawmakers return.
China jails British investigator Humphrey linked to GSK.
Malaysia Airlines: State fund proposes takeover.
AFRICA
WHO declares Ebola outbreak an international public health emergency. WHO: Ebola 'an international emergency'.
Ebola death toll reaches 961 people - WHO.
Nigeria braces for more Ebola cases amid outbreak.
South Sudan atrocities amount to war crimes, report warns.
S. Sudan: Conditions 'an affront to human dignity'.
DR Congo: despite improved security, situation remains ‘fragile,’ UN envoys warn.
Mali leader warns north could become criminal hub.
EUROPE
US warns Russia against intervention in Ukraine.
Russia arrests Ukrainian officers for 'war crimes'.
West blocks Moscow’s UN plea to reinstate ceasefire at MH17 crash site.
Euromaidan activists protesting Kiev’s operation in eastern Ukraine.
Czechs call for EU farm ministers to discuss response to Russia sanctions. EU experts to debate Russia's ban on European food on Aug 14.
An independent Scotland could face currency limbo: British lawmakers.
Two missing after fresh Bosnian floods wreak more heavy damage.
AMERICAS
Ebola crisis: Tom Frieden 'confident' US will not see outbreak.
Argentina files legal action against the US at The Hague over debt default.
Mexico approves oil sector reforms.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos sworn in.
Guyana opposition files no-confidence motion.
No longer welcome: Canada blocks fast-track visa program.
Rare tropical storm batters Hawaii.
TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR
ISIS threatens America: ‘We will raise the flag of Allah in the White House’.
Mali’s mercurial jihadist leader targets France in rare video.
U.S. rules out working with Syria’s Assad to counter al Qaeda.
ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS
Are U.S. stocks now a 'safe haven'? Big-caps shake off global woes.
Delta ready to re-route flights over Russia if banned.
Authors rally against Amazon in Hachette dispute.
China loses appeal of WTO ruling on exports of rare earths.
Markets nervous as Obama authorises Iraq air strikes.
3 comments:
Hamas miscalculated the results of the war, and now has all bad choices. For Hamas, the least bad option is to resume fighting.
1. Hamas hoped that the rockets and tunnels would change the correlation of military forces in this war. Hamas wanted this war to test that theory. Neither the rockets not the tunnels worked; Israel retains military superiority over Hamas.
2. Given Hamas' failure to change the military balance, Hamas must rely on its tried-and-true method to combat Israel: to maximize civilian casualties among its own people, stimulating international public opinion to make the Israelis stop fighting, on terms acceptable to Hamas. That strategy worked in 2009 and 2012.
3. So far this time, the strategy has failed, for several reasons:
a. Hamas clearly wanted the war, and started it.
b. Even Westerners inclined to be sympathetic to Hamas can't justify rockets raining down on Israeli cities.
c. Hamas rejected several cease fires during the war.
d. Bedlam in the Middle East has partly drowned out the Hamas/Israel war.
4. At this point, Israel is offering a truce that restores the status quo ante, i.e blockade continues, imports inspected, etc. This is not acceptable to Hamas; almost 2,000 Palestinians have died, and Gaza has been devastated. Hamas cannot agree to a truce that simply restores the status quo ante. Even the residents of Gaza may challenge the war if Hamas can't show that they "gained" something.
5. In military terms, Israel won, and Hamas lost this war. Hamas is trying to demand terms that the winner would achieve. Obviously, Israel has little incentive to agree.
6. I think that, rather than accept defeat, Hamas prefers to resume the war. Hamas has only two hopes now:
a. To somehow score a major symbolic and psychological victory over Israel, such as a major attack in Tel Aviv; and/or
b. Hope that Israel kills so many civilians that Western opinion forces Israel to stop and accept Hamas' terms.
7. Israel should continue to attack Hamas' military forces and infrastructure. Given Hamas' intransigence, it is hard to see how this war stops.
Publius .... your analysis is spot on.
Yes. Hamas has really mishandled the PR front on this one. It just hasn't resonated the same this time and I bet Hamas is scratching it's head and wondering why. It maybe that the Press has so burned down it's credibility being the left's and Obama's semi-propaganda arm that no one believes anything they report.
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