There is a lot of confusion over the true nature of the invasion of Gaza...
Opinion seems to be pretty much divided between destroying tunnels or destroying Hamas...
If the objective is to destroy the tunnels as is often quoted by media and Netanyahu then why not just seal the tunnel entrances in Israel and save a few million $$$ and lives?
If it is to destroy Hamas, well, an elected power that has different views to its neighbour should be defended by international law.
If there is another agenda then, and I believe that there is... Then Israel should stop now before things become really nasty
These tunnels, the ones that go from Gaza into Israel, which the IDF is destroying are not the main problem.
All that is good for is to give the appearance that "protective edge" was a success.
According to this, which probably is not quite up to date there were 7 tunnels :
Operation Protective Edge: Map of Gaza Tunnels | Jewish Virtual Library
and how many Israeli foot soldiers who were there to do the job have been have been killed so far?
63 so far?...and climbing. Pretty soon that`ll be 10 IDF soldiers or more per tunnel !
If it keeps going that way then these tunnels were way more effective than the rockets Hamas has launched so far.
Israel`s real problem is that their main ally the US is loosing influence with Arab states that used to oppose Hamas.
Reuter`s had this today:
U.S. struggles in Middle East, with fewer allies and less influence | Reuters
U.S. struggles in Middle East, with fewer allies and less influence
"There is no question that U.S. influence has diminished" in
the Arab world, said Daniel Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to
Israel and Egypt now at Princeton University.
U.S. credibility has also been undercut by its reluctance to intervene in Syria's civil war; Kerry's failed push for wider Israeli-Palestinian peace, which collapsed in April; and Iraq's instability despite a decade of massive U.S. intervention.
U.S. nuclear negotiations with Iran have also fanned Arab fears of a rapprochement between Tehran and Washington.
"It doesnÂ’t convey a sense that the U.S. has a full grasp of
the complexities of the region," Kurtzer said, suggesting that a perception has begun to take hold among some countries in the region that they can defy Washington without paying a price.
In one telling incident, and a remarkable breach of protocol, Kerry and his top aides were briefly searched with metal-detecting equipment as they arrived for a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on July 22.
In Israel, hostile media reports, apparently fanned by Israeli officials, harshly attacked the U.S. secretary of state as he left the region.
.
Egypt is a key player and they do play well.
On the surface they give the appearance that Egyptian forces are preventing Hamas from getting better weapons but this just isn`t so according to leaked secret cables:
Leaked Cable: IDF: U.S. and Egyptian Assistance Critical to Slow Hamas Weapons Smuggling (February 2009) | Jewish Virtual Library
4. (S) In response to a query on Egyptian seriousness in stopping smuggling, Harel stated that Egyptian support was split. On the Intelligence side under Suleiman cooperation was good. On the military side, however, Field Marshall Tantawi was dragging his feet. Harel also explained that the issue was more than just a technical issue, or an ideal number of Egyptians troops along the Philadelphi; it was more about willpower. 5. (S) Harel said that fighting the problem from the last 1000 meters before the Philadelphi border is useless and we should instead address the source of weapons, which come from well-known routes beginning along the Sudanese-Egyptian border. The majority of weapons smuggling comes from the Sudan border and makes its way by land across Egypt and into the Sinai, according to Harel. A small portion comes through Yemen, and some from Lebanon, but the Israeli sea blockade forces vessels to off-load in Egypt before goods can move towards Gaza. Once in the Sinai, according to Harel, there are only four major paved roads, and Egypt could easily interdict these routes with road blocks. Harel reiterated Egypt must close the border with Sudan, control the four roads in the Sinai, and change its Bedouin Policy.
Some of these weapons will give Hamas a lot more fire power:
5. (S) In response to a query on the sophistication of HAMAS weapons, Harel stated that HAMAS had Chinese and Iranian made 122mm rockets with a range out to 30 kilometers. The Iranian version of the 122mm was designed specifically for HAMAS, as it came in four pieces that could fit through narrow tunnels and be reassembled in Gaza. Harel also stated that sophisticated anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) were found in Gaza, to include the Russian made KONKOURS system. HAMAS also had SA-7 surface-to-air missiles and sophisticated improvised explosive devices of all varieties. Lastly, Harel said that Israel has sensitive intelligence that Iran is constructing an additional HAMAS-specific missile, based on the Fajr, that will have a range beyond 40 kilometers.
I wonder what the newspapers in Israel would have to say after "Operation Protective Edge" is declared a success and a few day later Hamas takes out a few IDF tanks or maybe an F16 with a guided missile made in Russia or China.
Neither of these 2 countries would mind to find out how effective any of that stuff is in a real conflict and not just on a firing test range.
Then what?
Does Israel start bombing Egypt which allowed these weapons through?
And after that start bombing Iran?...why stop there?
Instead of negotiating with Hamas they might as well keep going and bomb Russia and China who make and supply the better equalizers which could take out Israeli tanks and jets.
Any of the above countries will just find another proxy to test their weapons if Israel wipes out every human being in Gaza, especially so after the US withdrew from all the other war-zones where they tested their bargain basement armaments for guerrilla warfare against western military hardware.
