IAF strikes Gaza after Hamas declares end to rocket fire

Are you trying to intimate that Israel is firing rockets at itself Otherwise, the rockets are being fired from Gaza, by and for the Palestinian's that are firing them What goes on between Fatah and Hamas, is the usual going on between Arabs factions, killing each other as they jockey for power Israel isn't the only problems, it seems that Muslims have problems all over the world www.thereligionofpeace.com will give you an inkling of the trouble they're causing

Israel is just not interested in peace... This attack is a clear demonstration of that attitude.

Sani, You would do well to take a closer look and question what appears on the TV screen and in newspaper before taking a position. Many observers on this conflict have claimed Israel was behind the escalation and the split between Fatah and Hamas in 2007. Thus those members have Palestinian blood on their hands. And it was simply an unconscionable act for the US and EU to throw its support behind Fatah and reject Hamas in a free and fair election bid & wage a boycott against Hamas and deny its mem-bers the kind of support Fatah received. That shouldn't be their role and they should move to end such a campaign as it's causing great deprivation & suffering among the Pale-stinian people and their children. Dutch Dutch P.S. Originally, Hamas was created by Israel to offset Fatah and now the opposite is true.... http://www.counterpunch.org/gordon02072006.html

Joe Sittizen, It's never okay to kill anyone let alone inno-cent children. Yet if an award were granted for such a despicable crime that award would go to Israeli forces not to Palestinian militants. From 2000-2008 Israeli forces killed 925 Pale- stinian children and murdered another 350 or more during Cast Lead. So let's call a spade here and stop shifting all the blame to the Palestinian militants when their record for killing children during the same period (2000-2009)is about afraction (1/3) of Israeli forces. (ca 400). Yes, it's all despicable and it could have all been avoided if Israeli greed for Palestinian land didn't get in the way and leaders did what was right and lawful and removed their forces & settlers from the territories in compliance with International law. Thus it's beyond time for people on both sides to say "enough" and "get out" so children and parents can go on with their lives and futures. Dutch

The Israeli response is frequently not a response to an isolated firing of a rocket, but punishment for a Palestinian response to Israeli assassinations of Palestinians, militants or civilians. Israel has on more than one occasion shot up somebody just because they could be seen from the border by a sniper. That is no more cause for shooting somebody than Hamas shooting a rocket at Sderot. In fact, it is less since the snipers deliberately hit what they aim at and Hamas rockets frequently are aimed at empty desert. Dropping a bomb on a bunch of civilians on the chance that one militant might be around is common IDF practice. And the government is always sorry for the loss of innocent life (sure Wilber). So somebody fires a mortar in response to a border killing and then the IAF drops a bomb on a building on the off chance somebody militant might be around. Who's morally in the right? Nobody in the Israeli gov cares one whit.

shame on Hammas who made palestinian flee the gazza strip looking for asylum in israel,throwing other palestinian from roof tops and shooting at rival palestinian wounded in their hospital beds.shame on hammas for not using the greenhouses left behind by israeli settlers and use them to cultivate and trade,instead they invest in manufacturing bombs.and a small shame for the european dreamers who have their head anywhere but on their head not seeing the politial side of fanatic islam and its grip on the muslems in gazza and paris london alike

No I don't suggest ignoring the rockets. But I don't think it is right to ignore the impetus for the rockets either. Israel's been killing civilians in Gaza for quite a while, without regard to whether or not they were involved in terrorism. They just were convenient targets. Israel controls whether or not Gazans die or eat or have housing. . And Israeli politicians are just fine with that so long as they can preach how evil the children in Gaza are. You've even got Rabbis creating justifications whether or not there ir return rocket fire or not. And the Chief IDF Rabbi justifies it too. You guys shoot unarmed civilians if they can be seen from the border and then make up stuff like, they might have been planting explosives. to justify it.

I assume the breach you are talking about is when Israel bombed a tunnel running from Gaza under the border with Israel? a tunnel just like the one that was used to Kill Israeli Soldiers and Kidnap Gilad Shalit in 2006. So I assume that in your mind that tunneling under the border with the obvious intention of invading Israel for murder or to kidnap more soldiers should not be seen as an act of war or a breach of a cease fire or lull. According to my count I have 39 breaches of the ceasefire from Hamas and none from Israel. Have a Nice Day

"Hamas fired NO rockets until Israel broke the cease-fire `lull`, which they had informally agreed, on Nov 4th". A total of 20 rockets and 18 mortars were launched from the signing of the ceasefire until the beginning of November ( I found these numbers online with a Google search, you can check them yourself) Even if it was not Hamas, but another group that fired those rockets Hamas was in charge of Gaza at the time and it was their responsibility to ensure no rockets were coming from their territory. Had some Israelis made some homemade rockets and fired them into Gaza from Sderot you and the rest of the world would have said it was Israel's duty to stop them, so it must be up to Hamas to take the blame for this breach.

"1 to 6 Qassams a month before the "Cast Lead""? Just to think so many happless criminals are chased by heavily armed sheriffs just so you could enjoy your daliy John LaRue preachings.

The Palestinian leadership, including splinter groups over which they have control, are directly responsible for any injuries to their populace as the result of IAF air attacks. Additional rocket fire into Israel will result in more of the same from the IAF and rightfully so. As is customary among the Palestinians, Building rocket/weapon making labs, and tunnels used for smuggling in the midst of the Palestinian population, is nothing less than using their citizenry as human shields. This, however, will not stop the IAF attacks against munitions, weapons factories, and tunnels in response to any rocket attacks into Israel from Gaza.

"While Hamas was only firing between 1 and 6 rockets a month DURING the cease fire ..." Hamas fired NO rockets until Israel broke the cease-fire 'lull', which they had informally agreed, on Nov 4th. See what oily Mark Regev said: http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=zfFMZ7Y-s_c&feature=related

The same IDF professors also offer a Gentle Handshake and Tap On the Shoulder Program that avoids one having to rebuild infrastructure and goes sensibly straight to building superstructure instead. Sign up for this elementary class soon before it's too late and yet another generation in Gaza tragically fails to graduate and receive their Statement of Statehood in their lifetime!

Hamas' assurance should not be taken as biblical truth. It is their Taqiyya (deception) as usual.

Not at the IDF,the launch team gone within seconds of launch. IAF pilots fly low level missions including helicopters as well as high altitude. A 20 kg warhead is not child play.The only child play is Hamas sending children to pick up launchers or firing from a Gaza school or home and scoring a direct hit on an Israeli school or kindergarten.no superpower there not even in an Israeli nursing home. Some courage some honor! PS are you impressed by their ceasefire? PPS I rember reading Hamas used AA weapons in cast lead

"How about printing the average before Israel borke the cease-fire in November? From one to six rockets a month, as I recall." So what you are saying is that While Hamas was only firing between 1 and 6 rockets a month DURING the cease fire it was Israel who broke the cease fire by responding to those rocket attacks

No doubt Israel has to retaliate. Who would not.? Which country apart from Israel has to sustain missiles or mortars against its citizens. True enough, in Pakistan suicide bombings continue plus the demolition of schools for girls. The Pakistani Military has declared war on terror. Why then, must Israel sit back and await another volley of missiles. The Hamas Charter has been clearly laid out. The "Total destruction of the Jewish State"! Obviously,Egypt could open its borders and allow hundreds of thousands Palestinians safe passage. However, this will not happen. Israel has to fight Hamas, embedded amongst its own civilians. That my friend is the sad truth.

I don't understand Dutch's disconnection from the reality of Goldstone's conclusion. What do you need to be explained to you, Dutch? It's there and black and white: Palestinian rockets are indeed deadly, they do indeed kill and have killed people. Firing these rockets is a war crime. Do you want to come and have your own legs blown off like the kid in Sderot? You want to come visit the graves of the little kids killed by another kassam and tell the parents that kassams don't cause "serious damage or bodily harm"? Yes, you are reducing the matter by behaving like an absolute child: we shouldn't take Judge Goldstone seriously? The we shouldn't take anything he says about the Israelis seriously? You show Ha'aretz readers that it's you yourself we shouldn't take seriously.

"270 rockets and mortars. And how many bombs and shells in retaliation? How many tons of HE?" What do you suggest Mark? Ignore the 270 rockets and mortars? What would happen in the US? In Iraq? In Afghanistan? If the same thing happened? You make no sense. The problem starts with those guys firing the rockets. Yet all you focus on is Israel's response???

There is a big difference between instilling fear verses inflicting bodily harm or damag- ing a home or neighborhood verses demolishing it. The latter is a war crime in both cases. Dutch

IAF starts bombing runs for rockets from last year next? I just don't get it. A group who have just reigned in rocket attacks is purposely attacked in the hope that the control of Hamas is questioned and IAF has free reign again? Why can't America see through this? Israel can't have peace so it's trying to trigger retaliatory strikes? This is so wrong.

"DORIS it takes no guts or honor to fire a missile and run ! Flying through Hamas fire does.Even machine gun fire can bring down a jet." Pete, I think the Qassams are war crimes. even if very inneficient ones. But let's get things straight. Mucking around with home-made explosives and then launching them against a regional military superpower with all sorts of sophisticated surveillance hi-tech and a ruthless ability to attack wherever and whenever it likes, takes a certain amount of guts or stupidity. Sitting in a nice cosy F16 far above the effective range of Hamas pea-shooters while raining death and destruction on those below takes no guts at all. A child could do it.

There are many ways to destroy a person. you should not dilute the trauma, fear and anxiety that prevails amongst 850,000 people in Southern Israel by comparing 8,000 rockets to bombs when both destroy lives.

270 rockets and mortars. And how many bombs and shells in retaliation? How many tons of HE? And how many unarmed farmers and kids sniped at from the border? Killed? Wounded? And how many fishing boats sunk or captured? A laser guided bomb does a lot more damage than a rocket that is aimed at and hits an uninhabited area of the desert. Oh well, Cast Lead II likely isn't ready yet. Still in the planning stages. Hamas doesn't have any high school graduation ceremonies planned yet.

I can't imagine any sane person taking this appeasement (your quote) of Israel by Judge Goldstone in his Report, seriously. There's a hell of a difference between target-ing civilians with homemade rockets and 21st century pinpoint technolgy from aircrafts. Qassams often don't make their target or cause serious damage or bodily harm. Although there has been an occassional death --a handful at most. I don't mean to reduce this matter too much but it seems like child's play verses grown up play up --and your holding up of Judge Goldstone's Report on this says more about your disconnect- ion with reality and attempts to justify the unjustifiable than Judge Goldstone efforts to appease Israelis. Dutch

Or to send Pal children to pick up the launcher. Flying through Hamas fire does. Even machine gun fire can bring down a jet.

Read Goldstone: "From the facts available, the Mission finds that the rocket and mortars attacks, launched by Palestinian armed groups in Gaza, have caused terror in the affected communities of southern Israel and in Israel as a whole. Furthermore, it is the Mission's view that the mortars and rockets are uncontrolled and uncontrollable, respectively. This indicates the commission of an indiscriminate attack on the civilian population of southern Israel, a war crime, and may amount to crimes against humanity." HUMAN RIGHTS IN PALESTINE AND OTHER OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict Pages 473-474 15 September 2009 "... the report contains the clearest finding that Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups committed serious war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. The acceptance of those findings by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly has been ignored completely..." Goldstone, Haaretz 13-11-09

Fire one day then call a ceasefire to prevent retaliation while a "seperate" group announces the ceasefire is not on anyway. Do they really believe Israelis are that dumb? Obviously it works for the apology industry who live in denial of what they tell their people in Arabic.

BEN JABO:"Rockets will still be fired from Gaza and a previously unheard of group will be blamed, and Hamas will say they had no control of that group." ..And all war crimes committed by individuals in the IDF must be the fault of the Israeli government and they alone, the trouble is Israel is doing everything in its powers to shift blame. Come on Ben,you know that militants aligned to different factions are operating out of Gaza, several have ties to Fatah and they want nothing better than belittle Hamas. The Islamist militant organization Hamas on Saturday said "it had reached an agreement with smaller armed groups in the territory to halt sporadic rocket fire against Israel, in order to prevent retaliatory attacks." It only stands to reason Hamas would prefer to keep the peace so they could continue making weapons and have the tunnels left open...I'm being sarcastic now Ben.

The last thing it wants is peace.

end ? All that Hamas has done is agree to disagree when it comes to firing rockets. The buck stops with them and the bunker buster stops ON them !

Attacking a group of people whose only crime is to rid themselves of their government's tyranny and unlawful presence on their land..... Shame on those soldiers who engage in such un- lawfulness. They are no heroes in the sky... Dutch

Hamas rockets have proved to be one of the most ineffective of military weapons, invariably causing virtually no target, with no guidance, and a small explosive payload. So, you might ask, why do they continue to fire them, even on the same day they announce they will cease? The answer is political, and propaganda. It keeps the issue of Gaza in the public eye, and promotes false pride and ego among the Palestinian population who actually see no benefit from Hamas' occupation of the Gaza strip. It would be more courageous and productive for Hamas to really cease firing, return Shalit, and unite with Fatah in the process of building a viable nation, not grandstanding for cheers in the street.

... with a regular nocturnal quassum-or-two?... ... who will be responsible for the next skirmish, that becomes a fully-fledged war, before we know it?...

will a 3 month halt in rockets lift the blockade on gaza, or will it take 6 months, a year, 10 years rocket free? After the rockets end, the siege will be lifted once the capacity to produce them will be eliminated. Once that is done, the blockade will be lifted once all smuggling tunnels are eliminated. once that is done, the blockade will be lifted once hamas publicly renounces armed struggle and lays down all weapons. blockade will be lifted when hamas recognizes israel, and as a jewish state. the blockade will be lifted after palestinians overthrow the hamas government running gaza. the blockade will be lifted once all hamas fighters and politicians are incarcerated in israeli jails. Perhaps 10 years after all of that has been achieved the blockade will be lifted. But they still can't import pasta or concrete that can be potentially used to make rockets, and israel controls all borders and reserves the right to confiscate illegal imports. but the blockade is lifted........

folk's territory. The rockets are a response to Israel NOT upholding it's part of the bargain.

ONLY 270 rockets? Sounds like a de facto peace! Palestinian peace.

'Nearly 270 rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel since the end of Operation Cast Lead on January 18, 2009, in comparison with more than3,300 rockets and mortars fired in the year before the operation. ' How about printing the average before Israel borke the cease-fire in November? From one to six rockets a month, as I recall. There's this ongoing, rather tedious effort to justify Cast Lead, to make it seem as if it produced some rational gain -- when it wasn't even intended to have such an effect, and everyone knows it.

Israel won the war.

Of course it was a metal foundry. Where would you expect to find a weapons manufacture facility......a bakery ?

Rockets will still be fired from Gaza and a previously unheard of group will be blamed, and Hamas will say they had no control of that group

they went tunnel to tunnel collecting signatures

We have agreed with the factions that nobody carries out any action involving rockets for now