RTThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have resumed airstrikes in the Gaza Strip in retaliation to rocket fire from the Palestinian side after Hamas’ armed wing rejected the peace plan proposed by Egypt on Monday.
“Hamas has fired 47 rockets since we suspended our strikes in Gaza at 9am [local time]. As a result, we have resumed our operation against Hamas,” the IDF said in a statement. “Israeli forces are attacking again.”
RT @OliverWeiken: Explosion heard in #gaza city just now
— Camilla Schick (@CamJourno) July 15, 2014
The military operation should end when the Israeli army takes full control of the Gaza Strip, said Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday speaking at a press conference. He called for a stop to the “never-ending hesitation and asking of questions.”
“Israel must go all the way,” he added. “A ceasefire is a tacit agreement that Hamas continue to build up its power.”
“It is clear that Hamas will use any ceasefire to make more rockets and smuggle in more explosives.”
Late on Monday, Egypt proposed a truce between Israel and Hamas by establishing a 12-hour ceasefire at 06:00 GMT and launching negotiations in Cairo.
Israeli airstrike just now pic.twitter.com/kodnLJLYIq
— Nick Schifrin (@nickschifrin) July 15, 2014
A top Hamas official in Cairo said the Islamist movement was still considering the plan. But Hamas’ armed wing rejected the ceasefire, saying its battle with Israel would “increase in ferocity and intensity“.
Despite Hamas’ wing opposing the ceasefire, Palestinian officials say they still may hold talks with Egyptian intelligence in an effort to resolve the conflict, Israeli media report.
Israel, in their turn, agreed to the truce minutes before the ceasefire was to come into force.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the truce will “give the opportunity for the demilitarization of the (Gaza) Strip – from missiles, from rockets and from tunnels – through diplomatic means.” He added that if Hamas rejects the proposal, the IDF will have to “broaden the military operation.”
The US has condemned Hamas actions following Israel’s acceptance of the truce.
“I cannot condemn strongly enough the actions of Hamas in so brazenly firing rockets, in multiple numbers, in the face of a goodwill effort [to secure] a ceasefire,” US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters in Vienna.
He added that currently there is “potential of an even greater escalation of violence” as Israel has “the right to defend itself.”
Tuesday marks the eighth day of Israel’s ‘Operation Protective Edge,’ in which more than 180 Palestinians are reported to have been killed. The operation has not seen much support worldwide, with thousands of protesters in the US, UK, France, Turkey, Greece, India, Indonesia, Australia, Spain and other countries gathering over the weekend to hold demonstrations against Israeli airstrikes.
Some of the protests turned violent – in Paris the demonstrators on Bastille Square started throwing projectiles at police officers, who in turn responded with tear gas. In another incident in the French capital on Sunday, a synagogue was attacked during a service, with worshippers briefly barricaded inside.
If the Palestinians have refused a cease fire it must mean that they do not fear the IDF. Perhaps they are trying to provoke Israel into a full scale invasion with close in hand to hand combat where Israel’s missiles and jets wouldn’t be able to be as effective.. Israel seems reluctant to do an invasion…Wonder Why?? Could it be that Jews are not and never have been good at hand to hand fighting. They prefer to do their killing from far away….planes, helos, missiles etc. using technology instead of courage.
Remember how they behaved at Masada….they had no stomach for being dismembered by Roman swords. And against Hezbollah they didn’t prevail either when the fighting got too close to them. They’re brave only when they’re carrying weapons into areas of old men, women and children who are sick and wounded and disarmed.