Went back to bed this morning with a stomach-ache, woke up to the news: The first Gaza operation has come and gone. And Hamas was completely surprised.
A Hamas source in Gaza confirmed Saturday that the Israeli Air Force attack on the Gaza Strip, caught the organization completely off guard. Hamas, said the source, did not believe the IDF would launch a strike on Shabbat.
Earlier in the week, many Hamas operative went underground, fearing an Israeli assault, but despite the precautions taken by Hamas, many of its police stations across the Strip were operating as usual, again – believing an Israeli attack will not begin over the weekend.
Say, fellas, have you ever heard of the Maccabees? It’s Hanukkah. Read up on your Jewish history about when and where we fight.
Hamas spokesman Fauzi Barhum told the media that the organization learned on Friday that Israel was not going to launch any military operation in Gaza. Egypt had recommended Hamas cease all rocket fire immediately, in order to allow Israel to postpone its planned offensive in the Strip.
They got at least one biggie.
Hamas police spokesman Islam Shahwan told Hamas radio that a police compound in Gaza City had been hosting a graduation ceremony for new personnel when it was attacked. Among those killed in the strike on the compound was Tawfiq Jabar, head of the Palestinian police in Gaza.
The terrorists aren’t very happy. They also don’t quite get it yet.
Senior Islamic Jihad figure Khaled el-Bash told Al-Jazeera that the IDF strikes “mean war.”
“Israel has declared an open war on the Palestinian people. This never would have happened had it not been for the Arab states’ silence. We will never surrender in the face of planes and tanks,” he said.
“This attack resembles the way in which the war against Hizbullah began in 2006. It was aimed at the resistance’s infrastructure; it had nothing to do with the rocket fire. Israel wants to create a victory for itself and we expect the Arab nations not to remain silent.”
This isn’t the same as Lebanon. Watch and learn, el-Bash. If you survive, that is. And finally, here’s an almost balanced AP lead:
Israeli warplanes retaliating for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip pounded dozens of security compounds across the Hamas-ruled territory in unprecedented waves of airstrikes Saturday, killing nearly 200 people and wounding 270 others in the single bloodiest day of fighting in years.
Most of those killed were security men, but civilians were also among the dead. Hamas said all of its security installations were hit and responded with several medium-range Grad rockets at Israel, reaching deeper than in the past. One Israeli was killed and at least four people were wounded in the rocket attacks. With so many wounded, the Palestinian death toll was likely to rise.
The air offensive followed weeks of intense Palestinian rocket and mortar fire on southern Israel, and Israeli leaders had issued increasingly tough warnings in recent days that they would not tolerate continued attacks.
Looks like even the AP can’t call this one disproportionate.
More to come.