Last week, Israel assassinated from the air over Gaza the head of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), Zuhair Qaisi, who had been responsible for a terror attack last summer across the Egypitan border with Israel in Sinai, which resulted in the deaths of nine Israelis. Following the targeted killing, Israel stated that Qaisi had been actively planning a second attack against Israel from Egypt.
The PRC and Islamic Jihad, both funded by Iran, retaliated over the past four days with rocket, missile and mortar fire aimed at Israeli cities and agricultural communities. Initially, no attempt was made by Hamas to rein in these terror groups; however, it soon became clear to Hamas that owing to the effectiveness of Israel's "Iron Dome" rocket interception system, the Qassam rockets and Grad missiles fired from Gaza were proving largely ineffectual. Moreover, arsenals and rocket squads in Gaza were being hit with precision from the air with minimal civilian casualties (22 terrorists and four civilians dead).
Some 300 projectiles were fired at Israel, of which approximately a quarter were intercepted by Iron Dome, and a quarter fell within Gaza. Most of the remaining fire from Gaza fell in unihabited areas in Israel surrounding the Gaza Strip.
Iron Dome's success rate in downing rockets and missiles was over 90%. Calculating the trajectories of enemy rockets and missiles, Iron Dome is not used to intercept projectiles which will fall in fields and dunes.
Although the Israeli cities of Ashdod (27 kilometers from Gaza) and Beesheva (63 kilometers from Gaza) were targeted by the PRC and Islamic Jihad, no Grad missiles were fired at Tel Aviv (60 kilometers from Gaza), which would almost certainly have resulted in the reentry of Israeli infantry and armor into Gaza. In addition it is believed that Iranian Fajr missiles with warheads of 45 kilograms have been smuggled into Gaza, but none were fired into Israel for fear of retribution. There are very clear "red lines" to this game.
Bottom line: Hamas requested Egyptian intervention to end the conflagration. Earlier this month, officials from Hamas stated that they would not intervene on the side of Iran should war break out between Israel and Iran; however, this declaration was subsequently repudiated. The demonstrable effectiveness of Iron Dome may now have convinced Hamas to refrain from hostilities if Iran and Israel do indeed tangle.
Moreover, Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has been carefully monitoring events in Gaza, will also be more inclined to remain on the sidelines in the event of war between Israel and Iran.
Below is a video showing an aerial attack on an arsenal in northern Gaza on March 11. Note the secondary explosions.
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It is worth noting that the BBC (World Service) reported that explosions of munitions caches in Gaza were dangerously close to schools. The inference being that Israel was conducting attacks on areas close to schools - whereas correct reporting would state that Hamas strategically places munitions stores in schools or beside them or hospitals.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, the reporters failed to report that missiles have been fired every week, from Gaza into neighbouring Israeli villages for months now. It is only when missiles are fired further afield into the cities of Ashkelon, Ashdod and Beer Sheva that the Israeli government responds. Foreign reporters never cover these ongoing provocations. Israeli PR is responsible, in part, but only in small part, responsible for the lack of coverage. Palestinian "resistance" is never presented as provocation by Iranian proxies.