Aggressive defense works

Looks like an aggressive defense actually works. The pals are getting tired of being shelled. Gee. What a concept, not wanting to live with bombs dropping on you.

In the wake of Israel’s escalated response, Palestinians living in the northern Gaza Strip have appealed to the new Palestinian Authority government to take immediate action to prevent gunmen from firing Kassam rockets from their neighborhoods at Israel, a senior Hamas official said Tuesday.

He said the appeal was made in an urgent letter sent to PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh by scores of Palestinians living in Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and other areas that have been targeted by Israeli artillery over the past few weeks.

“They are demanding that we issue instructions to the security forces to prevent the rocket attacks,” the official told The Jerusalem Post. “But how can we stop the rockets when we don’t have control over most of these forces?” he asked.

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas recently decided to place most of the PA’s security forces under his direct control, in a clear attempt to block Hamas from controlling them. The National Security Force, which is supposed to prevent gunmen from firing rockets at Israel, reports to Abbas and not Interior Minister Said Siam.

According to the Hamas official, Abbas’s ongoing attempt to cut the powers of the Hamas cabinet is largely responsible for the growing state of lawlessness and anarchy in the Gaza Strip. “These security forces don’t know who their commanders are,” he added. “They’re not receiving clear instructions from anyone.”

Of course, the blame game continues, and probably always will, since it’s been so successful so far.