Time to find out who learned more from the Second Lebananon War, Israel or her enemies. Because it looks like the IDF is finally going to go into Gaza in force. Apparently, even Olmert can’t ignore Iranian-made Grad rockets landing in Israeli cities.
Over the past few days the IDF has positioned an artillery battery near Kibbutz Beeri, located about three kilometers (1.8 miles) from the Gaza border, and dozens of tanks have made their way to an assembling area just north of the Strip.
Forces from the Givati Brigade, the Armored Corps’ 9th Battalion and the Engineering Corps have already entered the Strip ahead of a possible large-scale ground incursion.
The reinforcements, while limited, appear to indicate increased readiness on the part of the IDF.
Meanwhile, during his flight back from Japan Friday morning, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was updated on Thursday’s Grad and Qassam rocket attacks on Ashkelon and the western Negev. The political-security cabinet is scheduled to convene Wednesday to discuss the escalation in the south.
Yeah. Even he can’t ignore this:
On Thursday a total of 10 rockets hit the beachside city of Ashkelon leaving growing anxiety in their wake. Two long-range Grad rockets fired from the northern Strip hit the city that was previously considered out-of-range of the rockets. One of the rockets landed near a school in the center of town. A 17-year-old girl suffered light shrapnel wounds in the latest attack and several other people suffered from anxiety.
Meantime, the kassams are hitting—again and again and again. Funny, isn’t it, how after the border breach with Israel, suddenly, the kassams are nearly all hitting something? A house, a factory, a person—it doesn’t matter what, Hamas is happy with any destruction.
Palestinians fired three Qassam rockets Friday morning from northern Gaza into Israel. Two of the projectiles landed in Sderot and caused some damage to a few houses. A woman sustained light injuries during the attack and was evacuated to the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. Four people suffered from shock.
Three more rockets landed in an open field outside of the rocket-battered town.
The Izz a-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, claimed responsibility for the Qassam rocket fire.
A fifty percent hit rate. Imagine that. Used to be they would launch six, and six would miss, or maybe one would land in the street and damage some cars. I wonder how many Iranian Revolutionary Guards got into Gaza after the border breach. I wonder how many of them are launching the rockets, or spent the last few weeks teaching the jihadis how to aim them better. I’m thinking a lot.
I’m also wondering why the news services, with its layers of editors and experience reporters, don’t seem to be picking up on this angle. Say, AP editors who read my blog: Go for it. You don’t even have to give me credit. You never do.