Posted on 10/31/2017 7:51:21 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
At least seven Palestinian terrorists were killed and 12 injured hours ago after the Israeli Army discovered a terror tunnel that extended from Gaza into Israeli territory. According to Israels Channel 2, eleven terrorists were killed. Most of the terrorists belonged to the Islamic Jihad group but some were affiliated with Hamas.
According to Palestinian sources, the tunnel was destroyed with an airstrike. Israeli sources, which are generally more reliable, claim that it was destroyed with a controlled explosion. Israels combat engineering units train incessantly for such scenarios and have played a key role in detecting and destroying terror tunnels. In the past two years, several Palestinian-constructed tunnels have mysteriously and inexplicably collapsed, killing dozens of terror operatives trapped inside. Palestinians have accused Israel of deploying a new weapon and the Israelis have not denied the existence of such a top-secret device.
Israel believes that the tunnel was constructed after Operation Protective Edge, which took place in 2014. Palestinians have attempted to employ tunnels as an offensive strategic weapon for the purpose of infiltrating Israeli territory and perpetrating mass killings and kidnappings. However, at least three dozen of these tunnels were destroyed during Operation Protective Edge, thwarting Hamass ghoulish designs. Hamas terrorists have invested substantial sums in creating a network of tunnels that crisscross the Gaza Strip. They have also diverted cement and steel, designated for civilian use, to construct tunnels.
According to Israeli officials, the tunnel ran from the Gazan city of Khan Younis, crossed under the border for several dozen feet, and approached the Israeli Kibbutz of Kissufim. An Israeli military spokesperson noted that none of the Kibbutz residents were in danger as the tunnel was destroyed approximately 1 and ¼ miles from the kibbutz. Officials added that construction of the tunnel was being monitored for a period of time prior to its destruction.
According to Palestinian sources, at least five of the dead were identified as Islamic Jihad members while two were affiliated with Hamas. The discovery of the tunnel, its destruction and the deaths of so many terrorists has significantly raised tensions near the Gaza periphery.
The Israel Defense Forces declared the area near the Gaza Strip a closed military zone. In addition, Israel readied its Iron Dome batteries in anticipation of retaliatory rocket fire. Iron Dome proved its mettle during Operation Pillar of Defense, which occurred in 2012 and then again during Operation Protective Edge. In 2012, the system scored an 85% success rate and in 2014, Iron Dome boasted an even greater success rate, shooting down more than 700 Hamas rockets. Iron Dome calculates the rockets trajectory and is only fired if it is determined that the rocket will land in populated areas.
Predictably, Islamic Jihad called for retaliation. An Islamic Jihad spokesman posted the following combative comment on twitter: The Zionist terror government must realize that we will not hesitate to protect our people and our land. Hamas issued similar militant comments.
The question that everyone is asking now is whether this incident will spiral into a full-scale conflagration. In 2014, a Hamas kidnapping of three hitchhiking Israeli youths provoked a series of escalations that resulted in full-scale war.
In November 2008, the IDF discovered a Hamas tunnel in the midst of construction. Israeli intelligence confirmed that the tunnel was going to be used for the purpose of kidnapping soldiers. Based on solid intelligence, the IDF acted resolutely, destroying the tunnel and killing five Hamas operatives in the process. Hamas escalated tensions by firing rockets at Israeli civilian population centers, and by the end of December Israel was forced to initiate Operation Cast Lead, a full-scale counter insurgency operation aimed at halting the rocket fire.
The situation for Hamas at present is somewhat different than it was in 2009 and 2014. Hamas is currently in the midst of a delicate reconciliation with its Palestinian Authority rival. A full-scale war with Israel at this precarious juncture could produce unintended consequences and unravel the entire deal. Moreover, Hamas leaders are cognizant of the thrashing they received at the hands of Israel in 2009, 2012 and 2014. In 2014 alone, Israel killed nearly 1,000 terrorist operatives including several senior commanders, severely depleted Hamass rocket arsenal and reduced three-dozen terror tunnels to rubble. Hamas is in no mood for another round, one in which it will surely lose.
Politically too, Hamas is isolated. Relations with Egypt are at a nadir. Egypt has repeatedly blamed Hamas for fomenting instability in northern Sinai and has sealed off the Gaza Strip from Sinai. Moreover, Hamas can no longer rely on Obama who maintained hostile relations with Israel to curtail Israeli military activity. The Trump administration views Israel as a vital ally and sympathizes with its security needs and Hamas knows this. For these reasons, it is unlikely that Hamas will choose to escalate tensions by retaliating for Hamas knows that in any war with Israel, it will lose both militarily and politically.
Note, An airstrike IS a controlled explosion...
Killing seven Jihadist that were willing to storm into Israel through a tunnel to kill the first Jews they encountered does not make tensions any higher.
Here is an example of asymmetrical warfare favoring Israel. It takes a huge investment of manpower, time and materials to construct a tunnel. But new advances in detection technology make finding that tunnel and destroying it comparatively cheap. An analogy might be the Japanese continuing their focus on battleships when technology had clearly moved on to aircraft carriers. Hamas would be better off continuing and increasing their political attacks, which have been very successful in terms of getting other nations to boycott Israeli products and similar economic and political operations. However, Hamas has a problem in that they have created a culture where the majority of those in it want an old-fashioned stab-’em-in-the-chest battle. Israel will win that one most of the time.
Hmmm, they use those two words together in a sentence. As if there is a difference...
Gopher gas bombs are far cheaper.
This is what Paleostinians and Muslims in general do best, above all other peoples:
Kill or be killed.
They love it.
They revel in it.
Any Paleo who dies trying to kill a Jew or a “bad” Muslim is called a “Martyr” or “Shaeed”.
Why where these scum in the tunnel in the first place?
To kill Jews.
Why don’t they divert their resources to building an infrastructure in Gaza?
The want to kill Jews more than improve their miserable lives.
End of message.
“The discovery of the tunnel, its destruction and the deaths of so many terrorists has significantly raised tensions near the Gaza periphery.”
Tunnel gone, terrorists dead. Win-win.
No mention of whether CONSTRUCTING such a tunnel raises “tensions”.
THIS is where the U.S. monies and any other contributions to "Fakeistine" go. Not to improving their infrastructure, not to improving their children's education, but to buy concrete and iron rebar to build terrorism tunnels. Cut off any U.S. funding of Fakeistine immediately!
Our Israeli friends are expected to be more patient than any nation should....
If I were President my policy on Israel would be simple: Destroy anyone who threatens to, or is actively plotting to destroy you.
Sobering summary.
But notice the “spin” - It was the Israeli’s who “raised tension” by destroying the tunnel ... that was going to be used to kill Israelis.
Most important words in the whole report.
The North Koreans are known to have built many tunnels across the DMZ. Perhaps they’re giving the islamists some how-to tips.
It doesn’t matter how they kill terrorists, just so long as they do.
Only five? Too bad.
We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us- Golda Meir
Gopher gassing works because of the confined nature of a burrow. Hamas tunnels are roomier; but the IDF has certainly brainstormed every conceivable way of disposing of Hamas tunnel rodents.
But Hamas, being the moral savages that they are, will next time force Pali children into the tunnels to trip IDF motion sensors with tragic results.
Sure hope our DMZ in Korea is being monitored by that same Israeli tunnel technology.
I always love headlines about Israel that say “tensions are high”. Yeah, I would be a little tense too if someone blew apart my terrorist tunnel.
If you'd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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