Not gonna happen

The IDF says they won’t stop going after Hamas until Hamas says “stop.” That will never happen, unless the IDF kills every last member of Hamas. Then they have to kill every last member of PIJ, which also launches kassams. Then they have to kill Fatah and Al-Aqsa. Mind you, I’m all for killing terrorists. But I’m not in favor of making obviously untrue statements.

“We’ll shoot till they say ‘stop’!” a defense establishment source told Ynet on Thursday after IDF activity in the Gaza Strip was expanded.

“We plan to operate against those who are guilty, not around them; they will be the ones to pay the price. We are aware of their Qassam launching abilities, but the more they launch, the more they will get back,” the source said.

Sorry, but I no longer believe the Israeli leadership when they say things like that. Terrorists have been launching kassams at Sderot for six years. Six years. Hamas still exists. The launches continue.

But at least the IDF is doing more than just talking. Five more terrorists will no longer launch rockets at kindergartens.

The Israeli Air Force on Friday launched an airstrike on a building in northeast Gaza which serves as a Hamas headquarters, killing five members of the terror group, Palestinian sources said.

Palestinian medical officials noted that six more people were wounded.

The strike occurred at around 1:30 am Friday. The IDF said the building that was targeted served as a meeting place for Hamas, “and it was suspected that a tunnel was being dug there into Israeli territory.”

Palestinian sources, however, claimed that the air force fired missiles at Hamas members standing in an olive grove.

And why would they be standing in an olive grove? That would be to launch kassams, so who cares where they were?

Shortly after the strike the IAF hit another nearby target, Palestinian sources said. The IDF has not yet confirmed those reports.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz, IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and other defense establishment officials held a meeting Thursday to evaluate the developments in Gaza. During the meeting it was decided that activity in the Strip should be expanded and that preparations for extensive, long-term activity be made.

At this point however, there were still no plans to send ground forces into Palestinian territory. “We are not going to do anything unnecessary,” a military official told Ynet, “but we will certainly demand payback from those who hurt civilians.”

And again, I’ll believe that statement when we see how this ends. As long as rockets are falling on Sderot and Ashkelon, those are empty words.