05-11-2019, 12:47 PM
** 04-May-2019 World View: Worst Israeli-Palestinian fighting in Gaza in months
The fighting between Israel and Gaza on Saturday is the worst in
several months. The following is the sequence of events so far:
This is the worst fighting in a few months. There have been missiles
and airstrikes all along, but both Israel and Hamas followed a pattern
of avoiding casualties -- the Gaza rockets would land on unpopulated
land, and the Israeli airstrikes would attack militant buildings after
the occupants were warned to evacuate.
So Saturday's fighting is the first in a while that violates this
pattern, and thereby threatens to trigger a wider war. It also
violates a "peace agreement" mediated by Egypt and the UN over a month
ago.
However, Islamic Jihad issued a statement accusing Israel of failing
to implement last month's ceasefire deal, by not loosening the
blockade of Gaza as much as promised. Islamic Jihad is also
threatening to expand its rocket attacks to Haifa in the north, to Ben
Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, and to Israel's unacknowledged nuclear
reactor in the south.
The worst fighting in recent times was the 67-day war between Israel
and Gaza in 2014. Both Israel and Hamas seem to want to avoid a
repeat of that level of fighting, at least for the time being.
This month is a chaotic time is Israel's government. Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu won the recent elections, but until now has been
unable to form a cabinet or a governing coalition.
Furthermore, the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Israel
this year, between May 14 and May 18.
Furthermore, on May 14, Israel will be celebrating the 71st
anniversary of its founding.
----- Sources:
-- Hostilities flare up as rockets hit Israel from Gaza
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48160098
(BBC)
The fighting between Israel and Gaza on Saturday is the worst in
several months. The following is the sequence of events so far:
- On Friday, during the weekly border protests, two Palestinian
military shot at Israeli soldiers, wounding two.
- Israel responded by hitting a Hamas militant post, killing those
two militants.
- Two additional Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire.
- On Saturday morning, there was a barrage of 200 missiles from
Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigades in Gaza into Israel, wounding three
Israelis.
- Israel responded with tank fire and airstrikes, killing three
Palestinians, including a mother and her baby daughter, according to
Palestinians.
- The fighting continued into Saturday evening.
This is the worst fighting in a few months. There have been missiles
and airstrikes all along, but both Israel and Hamas followed a pattern
of avoiding casualties -- the Gaza rockets would land on unpopulated
land, and the Israeli airstrikes would attack militant buildings after
the occupants were warned to evacuate.
So Saturday's fighting is the first in a while that violates this
pattern, and thereby threatens to trigger a wider war. It also
violates a "peace agreement" mediated by Egypt and the UN over a month
ago.
However, Islamic Jihad issued a statement accusing Israel of failing
to implement last month's ceasefire deal, by not loosening the
blockade of Gaza as much as promised. Islamic Jihad is also
threatening to expand its rocket attacks to Haifa in the north, to Ben
Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, and to Israel's unacknowledged nuclear
reactor in the south.
The worst fighting in recent times was the 67-day war between Israel
and Gaza in 2014. Both Israel and Hamas seem to want to avoid a
repeat of that level of fighting, at least for the time being.
This month is a chaotic time is Israel's government. Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu won the recent elections, but until now has been
unable to form a cabinet or a governing coalition.
Furthermore, the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Israel
this year, between May 14 and May 18.
Furthermore, on May 14, Israel will be celebrating the 71st
anniversary of its founding.
----- Sources:
-- Hostilities flare up as rockets hit Israel from Gaza
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48160098
(BBC)
