According to the latest reports from the IDF, Palestinian terrorists have fired 132 rockets into Israeli civilian centers during the last 24 hours. Three people were killed, a baby was critically injured , and four others were injured when a missile fired from Gaza struck a four story apartment building in Kiryat Malachi. Other rockets struck a house in Ashdod and a school in Ofakim, 20 kilometers west of Beersheba.
The Times Of Israel reports that 30 incoming missiles have now been shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome. Here are excepts from the article:
“Three people were killed and a baby was critically injured Thursday morning after a rocket blasted into a four story building in Kiryat Malachi.”
“As emergency services scrambled to rescue those still trapped inside the shattered structure another five missiles were fired at the town but the Iron Dome system intercepted them before they landed.”
“The Iron Dome anti-missile defense system has so far downed some 30 rockets over Beersheba and towns surrounding the Gaza Strip, out of some 35 attempts. All in all, about 110 rockets were launched by “Three of the rockets Wednesday night fell in the vicinity of Dimona in the central Negev, which is located some 70 kilometers from the Gaza Strip.”
The rocket fire escalated in response to Israel’s assassination of the Hamas terrorist who was the top name on Israel’s most wanted list years for several years. Ahmed Jabari was reputed to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit and responsible for a long string of bloody suicide attacks against Israeli civilians. He was killed when an Israeli jet scored a direct hit on his car on Wednesday. Israel attempted to kill the Hamas military commander in 2004, but Jabari survived the attack that killed his eldest son, his brother, and several cousins.
The assassination of Jabari was part of Israel’s Operation Pillar Of Defense, launched Wednesday to put an end to the hundreds of rockets fired from Gaza at Israeli civilian targets. Israel has shown remarkable restraint in the face of over 12,000 rockets fired into the Jewish state by Palestinian terrorists over the last 12 years. The missile barrage from Gaza only increased after Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza strip in 2005 and Hamas seized control from the rival Palestinian Authority.
On the international political front, Canada voiced strong support for Israel in the face of the latest violence. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, John Baird, singled out Hamas for harsh criticism, saying his nation “fundamentally believe[s] that Israel has the right to defend itself and its citizens from terrorist threats.”
“Far too often, the Jewish people find themselves on the front lines in the struggle against terrorism, the great struggle of our generation…. Canada condemns the terrorist group Hamas and stands with Israel as it deals with regional threats to peace and security.”
Back in Israel, the pacifist left wing minority and their media proxy, Haaretz , went on the offensive and criticized the Netanyahu government for killing Jabari. In an article that infuriated many Israelis, the newspaper claimed Israel only made things worse by killing Jabari. Haaretz Editor, Aluf Benn, wrote the article that was widely circulated around the world and faithfully reprinted as gospel. Many international news sources cited Benn’s column as proof of Israeli aggression.
” Ahmed Jabari was a subcontractor, in charge of maintaining Israel’s security in Gaza. This title will no doubt sound absurd to anyone who in the past several hours has heard Jabari described as “an arch-terrorist,” “the terror chief of staff” or “our Bin Laden.” But that was the reality for the past five and a half years. Israel demanded of Hamas that it observe the truce in the south and enforce it on the multiplicity of armed organizations in the Gaza Strip. The man responsible for carrying out this policy was Ahmed Jabari.”
“Now Israel is saying that its subcontractor did not do his part and did not maintain the promised quiet on the southern border. The repeated complaint against him was that Hamas did not succeed in controlling the other organizations, even though it is not interested in escalation. After Jabari was warned openly, he was executed on Wednesday in a public assassination action, for which Israel hastened to take responsibility. The message was simple and clear: You failed – you’re dead.”
Somehow, Aluf Benn’s benevolent terrorist failed to stop another 12,000 missiles that were launched over his “vigorous’ protests” during the last twelve years. As the saying goes, “with friend’s like that, who needs enemies.” Six million Israelis will sleep better knowing that Jabari is no longer alive to plot the murder of the defenseless citizens of the Jewish state.
UPDATE 4:15 am CST:
Recently, The Inquisitr conducted a remarkable and frank interview with Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld , a Member of the Board of Fellows of the Jerusalem Center For Public Affairs. Dr. Gerstenfeld is an eminently kind man, who like all Israelis, yearns for peace. He spoke today to Wolff Bachner and made this comment about the threat Hamas presents to Israel and the genocidal aspirations of Palestinian society toward the Jewish people and the Jewish nation of Israel:
“The present indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza are yet another example of the profound criminality which in many ways permeates Palestinian society. In the general Palestinian elections of January 2006, the only ones so far, Palestinians elected Hamas as the leading party. This is a movement which in its charter promotes the genocide of all Jews. According to studies by the Pew Research Center, more than 20% of Palestinians share the world view of Al Qaeda. Already before the Second World War, Palestinian leaders promoted genocide of Jews living in what was then Palestine.”