Oh, look. The AP finally includes in the lead the reason that Israel started bombing Palestinian rocket squads, even though they’re sticking to the tit-for-tat angle. Or at least, that was this morning’s article.
Israel, militants continue attacks for second day
Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian militants launched retaliatory attacks on each other early Sunday, but the militant group spearheading the attacks said it was prepared to cease fire if Israel would.Nine militants and an Israeli civilian were killed on Saturday in a round of violence set off by a rocket attack earlier in the week. The exchange of fire continued overnight, with Palestinians firing 10 rockets fired into Israel in the early hours of the morning, and Israeli aircraft targeting six militant sites in Gaza, the military said.
Of course, as the AP updates its stories, it pushes the reason for the attacks further and further down the article. It’s the seventh paragraph in this update.
The latest round of violence was set off by a rocket attack earlier in the week.
On the other hand, this is one of the more balanced leads in months, once you get past the “retaliatory” label:
A Gaza Strip militant group spearheading a recent campaign of rocket barrages into Israel offered on Sunday to cease fire if the Israeli military would do so as well. Israel said it did not want the violence to escalate but warned it would not hesitate to defend itself.
The rocket fire has provoked retaliatory Israeli airstrikes, and on Saturday, nine militants and an Israeli civilian were killed in some of the worst violence in the area in months. The exchange of fire continued overnight, with Palestinians firing 10 rockets into Israel in the early hours of the morning, and Israeli aircraft targeting six militant sites in Gaza, the military said. No casualties were reported by either side.
But then you have to read the headline, which implies that it is Israel doing the attacking, and terrorists offering the cease-fire.
Gaza militants offer ceasefire as attacks continue
Subtle, isn’t it? Yeah, that’s how they do it. Time and time again, they push the blame on Israel directly and indirectly. When Israel kills terrorists, the word “Palestinian” is usually the one used in the headline. When Israelis are killed, the phrase is often, “two die” instead of “two civilians killed in militant attack”.
And here, in the latest update, Israel is blamed completely for the breaking of the cease-fire.
After a weekend of violence, Sunday had been largely quiet following a cease-fire offer from Palestinian militants. The airstrike raised the likelihood that fresh fighting would erupt.
Not mentioned in the AP update: The terrorist was killed in the act of launching more rockets at Israel–breaking the cease-fire.
Also not mentioned in the AP article: Before the cease-fire took effect, terrorists did as they always do–fired a last salvo of rockets. Eleven rockets were fired overnight. Only luck prevented more fatalities.
Beersheba residents woke up at 3:30 am Sunday as an alarm sounded throughout the city followed by sounds of explosions. Two rockets landed in open territory outside the city. Around 4:30 am, a rocket exploded in an open field north of Ashkelon.
Around 6 am, two more rockets were fired at Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council while another landed in the region of Lehavim and Rahat.
It’s going to be another day of rockets in Israel. Stay safe out there.
Golly gee, if Hamas is genuinely interested in a cease-fire they could…oh, here’s a wild idea…stop shooting. But what reason do they have to do that when AP, reflecting much of the world’s opinion, considers that the side that starts the shooting is at best equally to blame with the side that, having been shot at, shoots back?