generalspeaking

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Israel's Response to Deadly Attacks by Islamic Jihad Terrorists

"So far, there is some strategic posturing but on the ground I think Hamas's behaviour has been very wise."
"We hope they understand that this is not for them to be involved with. [Abu al-Ata] was an annoyance for them as well."
Lt.Col.Jonathan Conricus, spokesman, Israeli Army

"The fight against terrorism is ongoing and requires moments of difficult decision-making."
"The political echelon and the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] made the right decision tonight for the security of Israeli citizens and residents of the south [Israel]."
Benny Gantz, former army chief, current head, Blue and White party

"I don't believe Palestinian Islamic Jihad has enough rockets to sustain a 50-day war like Hamas did in 2014, but the next few hours are critical."
Michael Milshtein, head, Palestinian Studies Forum, Moshe Dayan Center, Tel Aviv University

Rockets fired at Israel narrowly miss cars on highway

Still from video of highway bombing

Islamic Jihad may not have enough missiles, but Hamas most certainly does have sufficient stockpiles and it is not all that likely that Hamas will sit back silently and not join the fray, happy enough to declare itself once again in opposition to the 'occupying force' which in actual fact departed the Gaza enclave in a unilateral move, removing all Israeli citizens and leaving the Strip to the Palestinians to do with what they would in the hope that this accommodation would lead to peace. The only kind of peace Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other internationally recognized terrorist groups believe in, would be a smouldering Israel, destroyed infrastructure, population in flight.

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system fires interception missiles, as seen from the city of Ashkelon Wednesday. (REUTERS/ Amir Cohen)

The fanatical dedication of the Muslim Brotherhood offshoot Hamas, the Iran-sponsored Islamic Jihad, along with Hezbollah ensures that there will never be peace from their end, and peace cannot be achieved if only one side wishes for it to become a reality, extends offers only to have them smacked down. The latest unending volleys of rockets into Israel from Gaza come courtesy of Islamic Jihad, furious that a senior leader whose past plots to send rockets across the border in the hope some would hit their mark, in fact marked him for assassination in the pre-emptive knowledge that yet another destructive attack was in the wings.

Smoke is seen Gaza City following an Israeli strike on November 12.

Israeli Intelligence knew of his current whereabouts and a precision-guided missile destroyed the house he, his wife and their offspring were living in, levelling the structure in the east Gaza neighbourhood of Shejalya and killing Baha Abu al-Ata and his wife. Reports from Western news sources invariably refer to this Islamic Jihad leader, as a 'militant' because none of the citizens from where they live and report have been threatened and killed by him and his terrorist cohorts, all of whom are referred to as 'fighters', despite their formally-recognized status as terrorists.

Abu al-Ata (circled) was killed on Tuesday morning. (Israel Foreign Ministry)

The IDF's pre-dawn raid against the Islamic Jihad leader succeeded in its mission. Since then almost 200 rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel, reaching as far as central Israel (given that Israel itself is but a tiny, narrow strip of land), sixty of which were intercepted and destroyed in mid-air, with others falling but failing to accomplish the hoped-for carnage the terrorists anticipated. The barrage, however, succeeded in its real mission; to terrify the targeted population of civilians. Who fled to bomb shelters with their children in a locked-down Israel.

Syria also reported that a house of a second Islamic Jihad leader in Damascus had been struck and Akram al-Ajouri escaped injury but his son and another person were killed. The "chief terrorist in Gaza", however, was put out of commission when Baha Abu al-Ata was neutralized. The IDF targeted Islamic Jihad sites in Gaza exclusively in the hope that Hamas would not respond, and no indication was detected early on that Hamas had contributed to the launch of rockets.