What Bloggers Are Saying About ‘Operation Summer Rains’
Posted 2:30am Wednesday morning.
There are a number of blogs that are giving regular updates on the operation as it progresses. Among them are:
Here is what they are saying…beyond the destruction of bridges and the electric generator.
Israel Matzav quotes Debka.com that the IDF does not really know where Shalit is being held and is trying to prevent his being moved out of Gaza–and may already have been moved out.
He also implies that a secondary consideration of the operation may be the Kassams:
IDF officials said a large military force was ready to enter the Gaza Strip Tuesday night, after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert approved a ‘limited ground incursion’ in southern Gaza, aimed at the “terrorist infrastructure.” The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. I would be surprised if this incursion is limited to ’southern Gaza.’ Most of the Kassam fire - which has continued all week - actually comes from Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, which are further north.
JPost reports little resistance to IDF inside Gaza. They have taken secure positions around Dahaniya, which is about two miles from Kerem Shalom. IDF denies reports that they have entered Gaza in the north.
If there is a plan to deal with the Kassams in the north, the IDF is not giving any indication at this time. The extent of the operation is unclear.
He also points out the the Egyptian army that is stationed at Rafah could be serving a dual purpose–not only to prevent Shalit from being brought out of Gaza, but also to keep Palestinian refugees from entering Egypt.
Euphoric Reality notes the preparations the Palestinians are making for the Israelis, including the planting of roadside bombs.
In light of this, Abba Gav raises the possibility that in the aftermath of the operation, we may be subjected to Jenin II–accusations of Israeli attrocities, and lays out the scenario.
From Blogs of War it also seems the extent of the operation is unclear. He quotes CNN that:
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his parliament Tuesday to expect “an extended campaign against the Palestinian Authority” unless Shalit was released.
But he also quotes a headline from Haaretz (which doesn’t seem to be there anymore): IDF official: PM Olmert approves `limited operation` in Gaza
At the end of his post he also provides links to a number of other bloggers covering the operation.
Vital Perspective also links to 2 sources that differ on the extent of the operation.
He also gives a taste of the kind of media coverage to expect:
Unfortunately, some in the press are already praising Hamas as peace-makers in the same breath used to scold them for the kidnapping. The praise comes as a result of the Hamas-Fatah agreement today, which some have hailed as a “breakthrough.” That’s false. As the media sang their praise, Hamas leaders said, “We said we accept a state (in territory occupied) in 1967 — but we did not say we accept two states.” Click here for a great rundown of the details
Finally, Israel At Ground Level provides some background in: Reporter’s notebook of previous planned IDF Gaza operation
One question I have is–if the IDF cannot find Shalit or Asheri–and even if they do–what then? Under what conditions would Israel be willing to pull out of Gaza without returning to the status quo?
I just noticed that Captain’s Quarters answers my question this way:
I would wager that the Israelis have a very good idea where most of the terrorist assets in Gaza are located, and they may try to wipe out as much of Hamas and Islamic Jihad as possible during this exercise.
We should know more by the morning here in the US. Expect the UN to demand an end to the “aggression” by tomorrow afternoon.
We’ll see.
Update:
Jerusalem Post is reporting that the kidnapping is a sign of the tension within the Hamas leadership between Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Damascus-based Khaled Mashaal–and the attack that led to the kidnapping of Shalit was done under the instructions of Hamas in Syria. The Post claims the attack was intended to embarras Haniyeh. A number of blogs mentioned that Syria had taken extra steps to protect Mashaal, for obvious reasons.
The likeliest source of valuable propaganda for the terrorists in the upcoming days surrounds this “peace” agreement (already voided and repudiated by Hamas).
The press is highlighting the agreement part and ignoring the repudiation part. The agreement is really nothing new and does not have Hamas recognizing Israel at all. (It would not matter what Hamas or Fatah said at this point because they lie - they always lie). However, the press will try to contrast the agreement talk with the operation to end terror in Gaza, assuming that’s what this operation is about and I hope it is. See the article below - it has a good explanation of the key phrases and why the agreement means nothing but more of the same.
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Behind the Crisis in the Middle East
Well Read
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 28, 2006)
The news
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh have closed ranks by concluding a power-sharing agreement aimed at ending months of violent Hamas-Fatah fighting and laying down principles for talks with Israel.
The pact between Abbas and Haniyeh serves to prop up the political rivals at a time when a hostage standoff threatens an Israeli army retaliatory invasion of Gaza.
“Now it seems they’re in the same boat because they have a serious threat to their political existence,” says Shaul Mishal, a Tel Aviv University political science professor who has authored a book on Hamas. “They need badly to maintain their status within the Palestinian public. Sunday’s kidnapping of an Israeli soldier shows their weakness, and they have no real control. People do what they want, or they listen to someone else — not the government.”
The Abbas-Haniyeh agreement is based on a document drafted by a coalition of jailed Palestinian militant leaders that calls for Hamas’s integration into the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Because the PLO is the signatory to peace accords with Israel, the bargain is seen as a major departure for Hamas, which has opposed peace negotiations and the idea of Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting alongside one another.
source: Christian Science Monitor
Below are key phrases from the power-sharing agreement between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, which has yet to be signed by faction leaders along with a guide as to the way in which they may be interpreted.
The introduction says the document is “based on not recognizing the legitimacy of occupation”.
* Hamas considers the whole of Israel to be occupied land while Abbas’s Fatah takes this to mean the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem, captured in the 1967 war.
* The document calls for a state “on all lands occupied in 1967 with the Noble Shrine (Jerusalem) as its capital.”
This might imply acceptance of Israel on the rest of the land, but Hamas says it does not and that any state in the West Bank and Gaza would only be a step toward the ultimate goal.
* The accord calls for “strengthening the status of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of our people.”
This implies acceptance of Israel since Abbas’s umbrella Palestinian Organization does, though not all current PLO members recognize Israel. Hamas has yet to join.
* The document speaks of a right of “resistance using different means and concentrating resistance in 1967 occupied lands.”
Hamas interprets this as meaning that while armed resistance may be concentrated in land captured in 1967, it is not ruled out in the rest of Israel. Abbas opposes armed resistance, but this clause was demanded by the militants.
* The document calls for a political plan based on “Arab legitimacy and international resolutions that are fair to our people and preserve their rights.”
Acceptance of all these resolutions would essentially mean recognition of Israel, but Hamas says the latter part of the clause means it only has to accept the parts of any agreements that it wants to — in other words not those recognizing Israel.
* The document calls for a national unity government “that enjoys Palestinian popular and political support … as well as Arab and international support.”
Hamas still wants to lead a new unity government, but the clause on international support might make that more difficult if a Western aid embargo continues.
source: Reuters
The abduction of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit by militants in the Gaza Strip poses a problem for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Who is holding the soldier?
* The armed wing of the governing Hamas Islamist movement is the most important of three factions that took part in the operation in which Shalit was seized on Sunday.
The groups demanded in a statement that Israel release Palestinian women prisoners and minors for information on Shalit. There has been no threat to harm the hostage.
What can Israel do?
* Israel has said it will not discuss any exchange similar to those under which hundreds of Arab prisoners were freed in exchange for soldiers seized in the past by Lebanese or Palestinian guerrillas.
Israel’s first step is to try to build psychological pressure on the Palestinian government and on moderate President Mahmoud Abbas to get Shalit freed. It has already cut access to the Gaza Strip and could stop water and electricity supplies to the impoverished territory.
Troops with armour were massing outside the strip for an offensive, but moving too quickly to a military option could endanger Shalit. If the government moves slowly, though, it might end up looking weak.
What would military action mean?
* A commando raid deep into Gaza’s cinderblock alleyways would be very risky, but an option if Israel has intelligence on where Shalit is held. The last Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian gunmen was killed during a rescue attempt in 1994.
It appears Israel is planning a broader offensive designed to increase pressure on the Palestinians by taking over swathes of the Gaza Strip, from which Israel withdrew last year after 38 years of occupation.
Such an offensive could be combined with strikes against the leadership of Hamas. Military action might increase the danger to Shalit, but the gunmen also realize that he is more valuable to them alive than dead.
An Israeli raid could actually suit militants in Gaza very well since they have struggled to find targets to attack since troops withdrew last year.
What are the Palestinians doing?
* Palestinians are torn between wanting to avoid new violence and using Shalit to bargain for thousands of prisoners held in Israeli jails, widely seen by Palestinians as heroes.
President Abbas is trying to get Shalit freed. If he does so, then he might be able to win later concessions from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. A summit that had been expected between the two men is now very much on hold.
If Abbas fails to get Shalit freed, then it could destroy his already slim chances of ever reviving peace talks to negotiate for Palestinian statehood. But freeing an Israeli soldier for no immediate return would win Abbas little credibility among Palestinians.
Where does this leave Hamas?
* On the surface, Hamas appears divided between the military wing, close to exiled leaders, and an elected government that says it knew nothing of the plan.
But the crisis has some benefits for Hamas in that it has sidelined talk of a referendum planned by Abbas for next month on a proposal that implicitly recognizes Israel, a challenge for Hamas, which is sworn to destroying the Jewish state.
An Israeli offensive would be likely to rally Hamas and other militant groups, including those from Abbas’s own Fatah movement.
A return to all-out war, however, could see Israel try to kill top Hamas leaders, making it hard for the movement to run a government even if they survived.
source: Reuters
Comment by Gary Gerofsky
— June 28, 2006 @ 5:51 am
A massive bombing of a secret location somewhere in Syria would be lovely.
Comment by Shy Guy
— June 28, 2006 @ 6:45 am
There are other points to be made with regard to reporting this week:
This “new” Pal agreement erases any minor divisions between Fatah and Hamas…it is indeed a demonstration of how close Hamas and Fatah are in their radicalism and terrorist objectives.
The good cop bad cop routine between Hamas and Fatah has now shifted to the good cop bad cop routine between the military and political wings of Hamas (a distinction without a difference). Supposedly, the political wing was not consulted and knows nothing of Shalit’s whereabouts. This stretches credulity to its theoretical limits. The constant lowering of the bar to accommodate, excuse and support the murderous acts of the Pals never stops with some in the press.
Comment by Gary Gerofsky
— June 28, 2006 @ 7:25 am
[…] Israpundit has a list of blogs coverning the story. Abba Gav advises us to prepare for another Palestinian PR victory in Prepare Now for Jenin II. As Charles at LGF asks, “Have you ever seen a people more deserving of their own state?” […]
Pingback by Operation Summer Rains at Pursuing Holiness
— June 28, 2006 @ 8:59 am
What FAUX news (the financial segment called “Cashing In”) is saying is that the Palestinians are “evil” and that if they were bombed the market would climb (again with the money). Wayne Rogers (ex of M*A*S*H fame) said that destruction of the Palestinians would allow for a vibrant Israeli economy to flourish. Sounds pretty much like a “Final Solution”; Palestinians are evil and can be killed at will, with the added bonus of vultures being able to spin their bloody entrails into gold.
What’s Next for the Palestinians?
Comment by LanceThruster
— June 28, 2006 @ 6:13 pm