Israel vs Terror Groups attacks from Gaza and PA

[Sixties Fan]

[ What did they win? Lost a lot of rockets, many Palestinians died by Gaza rockets, some places destroyed. It does need to end, someday ]

 

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8-Monthsâ Intelligence Project Behind the Executions of 6 Senior Jihad Commanders

No matter how mind-boggling Israel’s intelligence capabilities are, they cannot be used to influence change inside the Gaza Strip.

www.jewishpress.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza broke their fragile ceasefire with Israel for the third time in less than 24 hours, firing rockets at the Ashkelon Industrial Area and Jewish communities in the Gaza Envelope at around 6:33 pm Sunday evening.

According to the IDF a single rocket was launched and landed in an open area in the Gaza Envelope. But Red Alert incoming rocket sirens sent hundreds of Israelis throughout the area racing for cover, not knowing where the projectile would land.

The rocket fire came less than a day after the IDF Home Front Command had decided to relax its restrictions and guidelines on Israeli communities located within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of the Gaza border.

Gaza terrorists initially violated the ceasefire less than 15 minutes after it went into effect on Saturday night, and then again an hour later, before silence reigned for the rest of the night.

As with Israel’s response to the first two violations, it is expected that the IDF will initiate a strong response to the rocket fire, with attacks on terrorist targets in Gaza sometime in the hours following the rocket fire.

A senior operative in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group told Al Jazeera that the rocket was fired Sunday evening “as a result of a technical malfunction,” and that the group confirms its commitment to the ceasefire.”

The technical malfunction occurred either when a terrorist was attempting to disassemble the timer on the rocket, or because he fell asleep on it, according to Arab reports.

Arab media reported, nevertheless, that terrorists’ headquarters throughout Gaza were being evacuated in response to the launch, certain in the knowledge that the IDF would respond to the ceasefire violation.

Gaza Terrorists Break Fragile Ceasefire Third Time in 24 Hours

Gaza terrorists initially violated the ceasefire less than 15 minutes after it went into effect on Saturday night, and then again an hour later, before silence reigned for the rest of the night.

www.jewishpress.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

Bituach Leumi to Recognize Gazan Worker as Terror Victim, Will Receive Payments

The father of six was working at a hothouse in the southern Israeli community of Shokeda with his brother when a rocket fired by Gaza terrorists slammed into the farm.

www.jewishpress.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

Israel Dropped a Bomb, And the Media Went Uncharacteristically Silent

Question: When does the hyper-vigilant international media ignore Israel dropping a bomb? Answer: When a senior Israeli security official reveals that Palestinian terrorists were

www.camera.org

 

[Sixties Fan]

Reuters reported Sunday:

Gaza militants fired a rocket at southern Israel on Sunday, a day after an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire ended five days of cross-border fighting, and Palestinian militant groups said the launch had been a “technical error.”

Ah, a "technical error." That explains everything!

Because usually they blame natural causes.

In January 2022, two rockets were fired from Gaza towards central Israel, terror groups blamed "the weather."

In November, 2020, two rockets were shot towards southern Israel, and Hamas blamed "lightning."

In October 2018, two other rockets were shot at Israel, one damaging a house in Beersheva with the other landing off the coast of Tel Aviv, and lightning was blamed then. The IDF seemed to accept that explanation.

I'm just wondering if other devices just go off by themselves in Gaza regularly. Do their toasters mysteriously start themselves? Their motorbikes? Do taxis self-drive at night after a lightning storm?

Or is it more likely that some Islamic Jihad member on Sunday decided that shooting a lone rocket would mean "victory"?

Those amazing Gaza rockets that fire themselves

Blogging about Israel and the Arab world since, oh, forever.

elderofziyon.blogspot.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

Editor David Horovitz and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today’s episode.

After five days of fighting, the ceasefire ending Operation Shield and Arrow is mostly holding. While the IDF, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant all claim the op’s goals were met within seconds, Horovitz discusses why it was so difficult to lock down a ceasefire.

Hamas did not overtly join in on the barrage of rocket fire that rained upon Israel. What can be read into the passive permission Hamas gave to what Horovitz calls its “evil little Iranian-mobilized sister”?


(audio online)

Daily Briefing May 15: Looking to rule the PA, Hamas sat out the recent Gaza conflict

Editor David Horovitz and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman drill down on reasons behind Gaza leadership's perceived permission for 5 days of Palestinian Islamic Jihad rockets

www.timesofisrael.com

 

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Palestinian workers with Palestinian officials at the Erez crossing in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, as they wait to enter Israel for work, on March 13, 2022. (Attia Muhammed/Flash90)

One of the Palestinian civilians tragically killed in Operation Shield and Arrow was Abdullah Abu Jaba. The father of six lived in Gaza and was struck by a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) rocket while working in Israel. Abu Jaba was one of some 17,000 Palestinian workers who daily cross from Gaza into Israel. Their employment by Israeli farms, factories, and construction sites played a critical role in shortening the operation by many days if not weeks, and in saving untold numbers of lives.

The presence of Palestinian workers in Israel is a win-win. Israeli employers have access to dependable labor, and workers from Gaza – where unemployment often reaches 40% – get jobs. Yet the strategic advantages of the arrangement are even greater. The salaries the workers take home have become vital to Gaza’s economy. That boon would be lost, and the borders once again sealed, if Hamas were to join PIJ in firing at Israeli targets. Despite incessant pressure to join in the fighting, Hamas chose social and financial stability over jihad and held its fire. Israel was spared many thousands of rockets thanks largely to its decision to admit the Gazan workers.


(full article online)

When Israel gave Hamas something worth not fighting for

The latest clash showed that what’s good for Gaza can be good for us – it's time to implement game-changing humanitarian plans for the Strip

blogs.timesofisrael.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

Previously we looked at the BBC News website’s initial report concerning Operation Shield and Arrow on May 9th:

BBC NEWS AVOIDS RELEVANT PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD BACKGROUND

As noted, at no point in that report were BBC audiences told that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is a terrorist organisation which is designated by the EU, the US, the UK, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel and readers were not provided with any information concerning the financial and military sponsorship provided to the PIJ by Iran.

As the operation continued, the BBC News website published additional reports which, like that initial article, were not tagged with the name of the terrorist organisation that is their topic.

On May 10th a report by David Gritten that was originally headlined ‘Gaza militants fire rockets after new Israeli air strikes’ appeared on the website’s ‘Middle East’ page. The headline was later amended to read ‘Israel and Gaza militants in heaviest fighting for months’ and the updated version was credited to Raffi Berg and David Gritten.

As in its initial report on the operation, the BBC continued to skirt the issue of terrorism, describing the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as a “militant group” and failing to provide relevant background concerning its Iranian funding and its record of terror attacks.

“The Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which is the second biggest militant group in the territory after Hamas…”

The report’s portrayal of Palestinian fatalities includes the following:

“Six people were killed and 45 injured in Gaza, local medics say. […]

It comes a day after 15 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, including three Islamic Jihad leaders.”

BBC audiences were once again not informed that one of those “three Islamic Jihad leaders” orchestrated a shooting attack in 2004 in which Tali Hatuel, her unborn baby and her four daughters were murdered. Neither did the BBC report that another – Tareq Izz ed-Din – directed Islamic Jihad terror activities in the West Bank from Gaza. Quoting the head of the ISA, the Times of Israel reported that:

“Bar said that Izz ed-Din directed 20 terror cells targeting Israel, with one of them located in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank.

“In recent weeks, [the cell] had begun producing rockets and launchers” to fire at Israel, Bar said, calling it “a dangerous precedent.”

The Shin Bet chief said members of the cell were arrested by Israel and had since confessed. […]

Bar went on to reveal an additional cell in Ramallah that was planning to launch attack drones into Israel but was similarly foiled by security forces.”

Refraining from informing readers that “the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza” is a branch of the Hamas terrorist organisation, the BBC’s report later states:


(full article online)

BBC reporting on PIJ continues to leave readers underinformed

Previously we looked at the BBC News website’s initial report concerning Operation Shield and Arrow on May 9th: BBC NEWS AVOIDS RELEVANT PALESTINIAN ISLAMI

camera-uk.org

 

[Sixties Fan]

Staged Gaza rubble pictures, 2023 edition​

As with every incident involving Gaza airstrikes, no matter how limited it was against civilian structures, Gaza's photographers are eager to stage photos with old women carefully placed in the midst of rubble.

Here, an old woman took a seat for a helpful photographer in the middle of rubble that could seriously injure her if she fell.

A woman sits amid the rubble Saturday of a destroyed building in the Gaza Strip. Said Khatib / AFP via Getty Images

When Gaza photographers find a good old woman to be a model, everyone wants to pose her differently:

A Palestinian woman from the Abu Khatir family reacts next to their destroyed house after Israeli air strikes in Beit Hanun town in the northern Gaza Strip, 12 May 2023. EFE-EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

A woman gestures next to rubble, in the aftermath of deadly Israeli strikes, in the northern Gaza Strip May 12, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

A woman reacts near a damaged house following an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, May 12, 2023. . (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

One Gaza photographer that is excellent at finding women and children to pose for him is Mohammed Abed.

A woman sits among the rubble of her house at Nusseirat refugee camp in Gaza, on May 14, 2023. Mohammed Abed/AFP

Getty Images/Mohammed Abed

Children amid the rubble of a building hit by an Israeli airstrike in the center of the Gaza Strip on Saturday....Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A child looks towards the sky (Beit Hanoun) Mohammed Abed at USA Today

A child watches from a window as people sift through the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli airstrike in Beit Hanun, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Friday. Credit: MOHAMMED ABED - AFP

Abed just happened to be on the other side of this holecatching this person looking through it and up:


By an incredible coincidence, he caught an image just like it in 2020:


Abed went to Islamic University of Gaza - which is run by Hamas. He knows his job is not to record history, but to create it.

And major media still pay for Gaza photographers to stage these photos.

I couldn't find a single wire service photograph of a sad Israeli sitting in the rubble of the building struck by a rocket in Rehovot. No, that only happens in Gaza.

Staged Gaza rubble pictures, 2023 edition

Blogging about Israel and the Arab world since, oh, forever.

elderofziyon.blogspot.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

Hamas gave sanctuary to Islamic Jihad leaders during 5-day Gaza operation — report

Gaza terror group didn't directly join fighting, but reportedly offered support after Israel launched offensive; Iran said to offer PIJ $5 million for every day of fighting

www.timesofisrael.com

 

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Following the Israeli military strikes, the Joint Operations Room (JOR) of the Palestinian factions launched Operation Revenge of the Free (ثأر الأحرار) and began a campaign of rocket and mortar fire targeting Israeli communities and cities, including Tel-Aviv and the outskirts of Jerusalem.

The Joint Operations Room of the Palestinian Factions

Hamas founded the JOR in 2017. It comprisesapproximately twelve armed Palestinian factions coordinating military operations against Israel during a conflict.

While Hamas leads the JOR, it appears it did not participate in firing rockets at Israel. Hamas’ absence on the battlefield was a positive development for the Israeli defense establishment, which therefore chose to not strike Hamas targets during the conflict. In its statements, the JOR expressed unity and coordination among its members – despite Hamas refraining from involvement.

During the conflict, Palestinian militant groups fired approximately 1,468 rockets, or approximately 298 per day, toward Israel over five days of fighting, according to the Israeli military. In the May 2021 Gaza conflict, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other armed Palestinian groups firedapproximately 4,340 rockets in eleven days, or about 434 daily. The discrepancy in the number of rockets fired in 2021 and 2023 supports the appearance that Hamas sat out active combat during last week’s campaign.

Ten Armed Militant Groups Participated in the Conflict

According to open-source statements and evidence gathered by FDD’s Long War Journal, 10 Palestinian militant groups participated in Operation Revenge of the Free. The participant groups included Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Resistance Movement, the Popular Resistance Committees, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Abdel Al-Qadir Al-Husseini Brigades, Al-Ahrar Movement and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command.

While 10 armed groups participating in attacks is a substantial number, almost all likely played a supportive role by shelling Israeli communities near the Gaza border, leaving Islamic Jihad to spearhead rocket attacks on major Israeli cities such as Sderot, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Other armed Palestinian groups, such as Salafi-jihadist organizations, have not produced statements or evidence indicating they joined active combat.

Eighteen Militants Killed During the Conflict

Islamic Jihad said 11 members, including six senior figures, one field commander, and four regular fighters died during the conflict. In a communique, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine acknowledged that five members died “while performing their jihadi duty.” Lastly, the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement said a field commander and a fighter died by “shelling from the occupation in east Gaza while carrying out their jihadi work.”

Including militants, 33 Palestinians were killed in the fighting. According to the IDF, four Palestinians died from rockets fired by militants.

Assessing the Conflict

The Israeli military had four important objectives in Operation Shield and Arrow: (1) Eliminate leaders of Islamic Jihad; (2) Keep Hamas from entering the conflict; (3) Prevent a notable attack by Palestinian groups; and (4) Restore deterrence by signaling to Hamas, Hezbollah, and other regional foes that Israel will preemptively strike if threatened.

The IDF quickly achieved its primary objective by eliminating three leaders of Islamic Jihad, and strikes against other senior militants in the following days were an added success. Removing key leadership members disrupts planning and future attacks on Israeli targets. It is easier to replace tunnels and rockets than a commander with years of battle experience.

The IDF also achieved deterrence, at least partially. Islamic Jihad is unlikely to venture into another round of conflict in the near future without Hamas’ assistance. However, in recent years, the gap between military operations in the Gaza Strip appears to be shrinking. It has been less than a year since Operation Breaking Dawn when Israel launched a preemptive strike on the leadership of Islamic Jihad to thwart planned attacks. In 2021, Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem, prompting the launch of Operation Guardian of the Walls, and in 2019, Israel killed Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Ata in Operation Black Belt after months of repeated rocket fire toward Israel.

In the recent operation, the IDF largely denied Islamic Jihad any significant achievements. However, rockets fired at the Tel-Aviv area resulted in the killing of one person and a Gazan worker near the settlement of Shokeda.

According to the Israeli military, Islamic Jihad was thwarted by airstrikes on at least one occasion when it attempted to deploy an anti-tank-guided missile team at the Gaza border.

Islamic Jihad’s failure to achieve a notable strike became apparent when it published a false claim on May 13, saying it attacked an Israeli military position with an anti-tank guided missile causing casualties.

Following the claim of an attack on Israeli military personnel, a security source speaking to FDD’s Long War Journal denied the incident took place, adding that a mortar landed near a tank but did not cause damage.

The Israeli military achieved most of its objectives while denying Islamic Jihad and other armed Palestinian organizations a significant achievement in the fighting. The Israeli defense establishment can be satisfied with its recent performance; however, stronger, more formidable opponents like Hamas, Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed groups are fomenting chaos and will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Analysis: Israel, Islamic Jihad, and Other Palestinian Armed Groups Enter Conflict | FDD's Long War Journal

Israel eliminates members of Islamic Jihad's leadership in an effort to restore deterrence lost since the last year's operation in Gaza.

www.longwarjournal.org