Israel Warns Of Military Retaliation If Palestinian Rockets Continue

JERUSALEM -- Israel's prime minister is warning Gaza militants of a military retaliation if they resume firing rockets at southern Israeli communities.

Benjamin Netanyahu says it must be clear that Israel will not tolerate "a drizzle of rockets and missiles" on its cities.

Netanyahu spoke at a meeting Monday of his Likud party, after two days of relative quiet along the border with the Palestinian coastal strip.

Violence escalated last week with Gaza militants bombarding southern Israel, and Israel retaliating with airstrikes.

Netanyahu says if the attacks continue, "there will be an even more painful military retaliation."

Israel launched a wide military offensive into Gaza two years ago, trying to end years of daily Palestinian rocket attacks.

Comments

[Obacalypse N0w]

01:34 PM on 04/23/2011

Why does huffpo love that picture of Netanyahu looking like the grinch?(rhetorical question) It has been used at least 4 times in 4 different articles here.

[blackzionist]

02:22 AM on 04/23/2011

If the Palestinians don't want war, they need to stop the attacks.

The whole Israel Palestine conflict is funny. The international community condmens Israel for not giving up half of their country, to a people, the Palestinians who were, during WW2, supporters of Hitler and the holocaust and a large percentage are today. There is even a guy in the Palestinian legislature named after Hitler and Mein Kampf is a bestseller throughout the Arab Muslim world. The "moderate" PLO and the "radical" Hamas both believe that the holocuast should be completed, with every last Jew killed and then every Christian should be exterminated. Just look at what the PLO and their friends did in Lebanon. Why did they massacre and rape innocent Christians? Becuase they, like the Jews are "infidels."

The PLO and Hamas openly proclaim their goals, yet many "useful idiots" in the West believe that the tiny Israel should give up its land in a useless agreement with a bunch of people that openly advocate it's destruction and the extermination of every Jew and later every Christian.

Yet, these groups are given unearned status by useful idiots in the West. The fact that Israel is thinking about giving these people their own country is just insane.

[JFK Israel]

10:27 PM on 03/31/2011

In his book The Jewish Paradox, Goldmann recalls a late night conversation he had with Ben-Gurion in 1956 about ‘the Arab problem’. Ben-Gurion told Nahum Goldmann:

“Why should the Arabs make peace? If I was an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have taken their country. Sure God promised it to us, but what does that matter to them? Our God is not theirs. We come from Israel, it’s true, but two thousand years ago, and what is that to them? There has been anti-Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their [the Arab’s] fault? They only see one thing: we have come here and stolen their country. Why should they accept that? They may perhaps forget in one or two generations’ time, but for the moment there is no chance.”

[Rooster Coburn]

06:34 PM on 03/31/2011

It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to determine the origins of the rockets or their components.  Then the Israeli government should invite the providers to stop sending illegal weapons to militants or their sources of origin will be targeted by Israeli smart bombs or missiles.

[blackzionist]

02:23 AM on 04/23/2011

Good idea.

[pomegrante]

01:39 PM on 03/30/2011

Egypt has already warmed them do not think about another Cast Lead.

[CigarGod]

09:22 PM on 03/30/2011

Process is underway to buy, influence, de-fang and otherwise subvert the new goverment.

[JanP]

10:28 AM on 03/31/2011

If the Palestinians don't attack, they won't have to do another "Cast Lead".

[JanP]

09:51 AM on 03/30/2011

Fair warning.

Before operation Cast Lead, Israel and Egypt warned Hamas that they would be invaded if the rocket fire didn't stop. It didn't stop so israel invavded and made it stop.

[CrazyEyes]

12:36 PM on 03/30/2011

Made a lot of children stop [breathing], too.

[Relpo Miraculous]

06:06 AM on 03/31/2011

That doesn't stop the Palestinians either...because their children are all soldiers in the cause to destroy Israel. Playing the child card is all you are doing. It's Hamas that doesn't care about children...on either side. That's why they aim their rockets at kindergartens in Israel first.

[bdunlap52]

05:18 PM on 03/31/2011

I guess Hamas needs to stop shooting rockets from schools and hospitals. Palestinians use women and children as shields, and Israelis shield women and children. I know what side of the fence I come down on.

[Kramerica-Industries]

04:32 AM on 03/30/2011

The news you will never hear about. What happens when a Palestinia­n rocket falls short in Gaza.

According to an investigation conducted by PCHR, at approximately 02:30 on Tuesday, 29 March 2011, a projectile exploded in a house belonging to Ahmed Kheir al-Batsh, 62, in al-Salam neighborhood in Jabalia, northern the Gaza Strip. Hanin Khalil al-Batsh, 22, sustained shrapnel wounds throughout her body. Her baby Ashour al-Batsh, seven months old, also sustained shrapnel wounds in the back, neck and head. A neighbor, Raed Johar al-Batsh, 35, sustained shrapnel wounds to the head as a result of the glass windows in his house shattering from the blast. The projectile penetrated the window in a room located in the western part of the second floor in the house. It exploded in the northern wall of the room causing a hole. The house was heavily damaged and the glass of the windows in three of the neighboring houses shattered. It should be noted that a site used by members of one of the Palestinian factions is located to the southwest of al-Batsh's house.
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7332:pchr-calls-upon-the-government-in-gaza-to-investigate-into-the-use-of-homemade-projectiles-on-a-house-and-two-factories-in-gaza-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194

[Shingo]

07:00 AM on 03/30/2011

Homemade projectile­s do not carry explosive carges and therefore do not explode.

BTW. What do you think happens when a 500 lb bomb explodes?

[Kramerica-Industries]

07:43 AM on 03/30/2011

This are the wording of Palestinian Center for Human Rights you claim they are lying?
Could they also been lying on other reports?
This is what happens when you do not have alert system and shelters.
This is what happens when these firecrackers bottle rockets and what ever else you call them falls in a land which doesn't spend billions to protect its own citizens.

[JanP]

09:55 AM on 03/30/2011

Shingo:

The "homemade" rockets do carry explosives. it is really silly to claim that they don't.

When a 500 lb bomb explodes, it can do a whole lot more damage than a homemade Palestinian rocket. One 5oo lb bomb is the equaivelant of about 20 Palestinian rockets.

[CrazyEyes]

12:36 PM on 03/30/2011

Who says the terrorists are the good guys?

[CigarGod]

09:25 PM on 03/30/2011

The majority of nations do not classify either Hamas or Hesbollah as so.

[Kramerica-Industries]

04:20 AM on 03/30/2011

The news you will never hear about. What happens when a Palestinian rocket falls short in Gaza.

Thursday, 24 March 2011
homemade projectile exploded in a wood factory owned by Bseiso and Alami Industry and Trade Company in al-Zaytoon neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. Three workers were wounded as a result, one of them seriously. The wounded are: 1. Khaled Mazen Hamada, 25, who sustained serious shrapnel wounds to the head; 2. Adel Ibrahim al-Nemnem, 46, who sustained shrapnel wounds to the head; and 3. Zaher Zuheir Tafesh, 33, who sustained shrapnel wounds in his right hand. The explosion also caused heavy damage to the factory and to a Mercedes belonging to the factory owner.

[Shingo]

06:49 AM on 03/30/2011

Like I said above, homemade projectiles do not carry explosive carges and therefore do not explode.

[Kramerica-Industries]

07:46 AM on 03/30/2011

So you think these were really Grad missiles or mortars and the Palestinian center for Human rights was lying in order to minimize the crimes of Hamas?

[SaneUSA]

12:29 PM on 03/30/2011

The rockets can carry up to around 22 pounds of explosives (Though I believe Grad rockets can actually care around 40 pounds), so just like above...wrong again.

[tramagrama]

12:25 PM on 03/29/2011

BREAKING THE SILENCE CHALLENGES THE ISRAEL ARMY:

A group of Israeli soldiers who fought in the war in Gaza have testified that the military allowed them to use reckless force. The 26 soldiers published their anonymous accounts in a booklet compiled by Breaking the Silence, an Israeli soldiers’ organisati­on.

They describe the Israeli army’s use of human shields and deliberate targeting of civilian structures­. In one typical account, a soldier said that in pre-invasion briefings his officers said it was better to hit an innocent than hesitate to attack an enemy. “If you’re not sure, kill. Fire power was insane.”

They have told how and when white phosphorus amunition was used in Gaza. One soldier described walking on the beach in Gaza and discovering an area covered in glazed sand from a white phosphorous bomb.

Breaking the Silence (BTS) was co-founded in 2004 by Yehuda Shaul, 26, an Israeli soldier who served for nearly three years in the volatile city of Hebron.

The organizati­on’s main aim is to break the silence and taboo surroundin­g the behavior of Israeli soldiers in the Palestinia­n territorie­s in an endeavor to enlighten ordinary Israelis on what happens behind the scenes as their sons and daughters, husbands and wives serve the Jewish state.

Please take a look at their courageous videos and read their unique testimonia­ls.

http://www­.shovrimsh­tika.org/i­ndex_e.asp

[zazzuminu]

01:02 PM on 03/29/2011

Do not miss it. It will shake you.
"Breaking the Silence" is powerful stuff.

Here is the link again:

http://www.shovrimshtika.org/index_e.asp

[Anbreen]

10:33 AM on 04/02/2011

F2

[Thalatu]

01:31 PM on 03/29/2011

Breaking the Silence was THE turning point for me.

I saw one of their photographs exposition in Sweeden (oh my God!).

You can download their recent book
"Occupation of the Territories – Israeli Soldier Testimonies 2000-2010"
from here:

http://www.shovrimshtika.org/media_item_e.asp?id=11

[Anbreen]

10:34 AM on 04/02/2011

F2 4 U as well.

[bounced01]

11:00 AM on 03/29/2011

My understanding is that Israel struck first with killings in Gaza, which resulted in retaliatory rocket attacks.

Is Israel promising THEY will cease attacks in Gaza??????????

[JacksonJones]

11:04 AM on 03/29/2011

What is your "understanding" based on? My understanding was that Israel left Gaza, and Hamas started shooting rockets.

[bounced01]

11:55 AM on 03/29/2011

Israel, after pulling out, conducted a series of "targeted" assassinations (with a spectacularly high rate of innocent men, women and children included) that spurred many of the rocket attacks. As it turns out, Israel has shot THOUSANDS more mortars ( which are much more accurate and deadly) into Gaza than Gaza ever shot into Israel.

My understanding of the current situations comes from stories I read right here on Huffpo, suggesting that the mortars came after Israel assassinated Hamas members in Gaza.

Israel just left, and the Rockets started. That's rich! Ever heard of the internationally condemned blockade designed to literally collectively punish all Gazans?

[Shingo]

05:45 PM on 03/29/2011

>> What is your "understan­ding" based on?

Based on the fact that Israel atatcked Gaza February 24th and killed 2 Palestinians.

>> My understand­ing was that Israel left Gaza, and Hamas started shooting rockets.

Your understanding is wrong. Israel left Gaza and fired 7,700 on the way out.

[ChazzMTazz]

11:35 AM on 03/29/2011

You understanding is typical of the posters on this site : based on zero fact and less knowledge of history.

[bounced01]

12:07 PM on 03/29/2011

I read the stories here, and in other sources

"Two rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, a day after Israeli air strikes on the Hamas-governed territory." The BBC

"A series of rockets have slammed into the Israeli port city of Ashdod, just south of Tel Aviv, shortly after Israeli aircraft pounded targets in Gaza, in an escalating conflict that has raised fears of a new war." Al Jazeera

Now, initially right after Israel unilaterally pulled out of Gaza, they started targeted assassinations of Hamas members, operations that had a SPECTACULARY HIGH rate of collateral damage in the form of many dead innocent men, Women, and Children.

Israel then implemented an internationally condemned blockade of Gaza, designed to collectively punish it's people.

Hamas then started shooting thousands of Rockets. Israel shot MANY thousands more mortars, which are much more accurate and deadly (especially to innocent men women and children, who died in their hundreds)

Which parts of history or current proof am I missing now?

[Shingo]

05:47 PM on 03/29/2011

>> based on zero fact and less knowledge of history.

What do you know abot facts and history?

[tramagrama]

10:31 AM on 03/29/2011

ISRAEL CALLS FOR RESUMPTION OF TARGETES ASSASSINATIONS IN GAZA

MK Shaul Mofaz, Israel's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee chairman in the Knesset has said that Israel must return to the policy of targeted assassinations in the Gaza Strip, stressing that "anyone who harms the Israelis must be held personally responsible."

During a meeting held at the municipality of occupied Bir Saba'a, Mofaz, who previously served as Defence Minister, said, "Israel cannot hide behind the Iron Dome defence system while life goes on in Gaza."

"We must maintain our ability to attack and preserve the IDF's role as a deterrent. Without a deterrent, the Palestinian organizations are the ones that will dictate the agenda," Mofaz added.

http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2182-mofaz-calls-for-resumption-of-targeted-assassinations-in-gaza.

[JacksonJones]

10:58 AM on 03/29/2011

For a lot of people, including some pro-Palestinians, targeting the bad guys on an individual basis is preferable to normal military responses.

See, e.g., http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Amryxx/israel-palestine-rockets-military-retaliation_n_841588_82362300.html

[tramagrama]

11:34 AM on 03/29/2011

Killing knowingly is killing deliberately and premeditatedly. It is a war crime which no amount of verbal juggling can extenuate.

[tramagrama]

11:57 AM on 03/29/2011

Yeah, like Shaikh Ahmad, who was assassinated by Israel along with 10 other Palestinian civilians outside a Gaza mosque.

Or like suspected Izzidin al-Qassam Brigade leader Salah Shehade who was "targeted individually as a bad guy", and was in effect killed, along with 10 civilians, including eight children, Shehade's wife, son, daughter, and bodyguard among them. Eight nearby apartment buildings were completely destroyed, nine others partly, and 21 more sustained significant damage. In total, 150 civilians were injured, some seriously.

Extrajudicial assassinations are willful, premeditated, cold-blooded murder. They're indefensible, morally abhorrent, and illegal under international laws and norms. Article 23b of the 1907 Hague Regulations prohibits "assassination, proscription, or outlawry of an enemy, or putting a price upon an enemy's head, as well as offering a reward for any enemy 'dead or alive,' and the 2002 International Criminal Court's Rome Statute calls these violations war crimes, under Article 8.

Nonetheless, they're official Israeli policy and killers get impunity.

[Aziat]

11:28 AM on 03/29/2011

Whats the problem? Targeted assassination is a lot better than having troops fighting on the ground.

[jonnyquest]

03:27 PM on 03/29/2011

So you must believe most if not all the leaders in Europe, Asia & Russia should be assasinated since they don't back what Israel does to the Palestinians.

[Shingo]

05:49 PM on 03/29/2011

>> Targeted assassinat­ion is a lot better than having troops fighting on the ground.

Israeli tanks have already rolled into Gaza

[BestGuest]

10:13 AM on 03/29/2011

I know i know... I shouldn't laugh while discussing such a serious topic but i can't help it... |$rae|i (and pro-|$rae|i) bumbling just cracks me up....

Here's what one guy, Florida1966, said. Im still in stiches from laughing so hard. Keep em coming folks:

"Behold, I (God) will make Jerusalem
a cup of trembling (anger, fear)
unto ALL the people (nations) round about . . ."
(Zechariah 12:2)

"And in that Day (the "Day of the Lord" ... the coming "Apocalyps­e")
I (God) will make Jerusalem
a burdensome stone
for ALL people"
(Zechariah­12:3)
For the record, it doesn't turn out well for those who are against Israel, but they will try anyway.

[JacksonJones]

10:40 AM on 03/29/2011

Sorry, but did you have a comment in there that contained something about the conflict?

[StCuthbert]

10:45 AM on 03/29/2011

With the same kind of religious fervor as people who say "The West Bank is Palestinian land. Don't ask me since when, it just IS, OK??"

[CrazyEyes]

12:34 PM on 03/29/2011

No as ludicrous as saying "my ancestors lived here thousands of years ago so I'm going to kick out my current relatives because I want to live here now."

[BestGuest]

10:08 AM on 03/29/2011

An example of how she came to being....

"TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisia's government on Monday condemned an effort by Israeli officials to entice Tunisian Jews to emigrate to Israel over concerns about possible economic hardship in the North African country."

http://www­.google.co­m/hostedne­ws/canadia­npress/art­icle/ALeqM­5hyVlF5qXo­GJ-YRP0WOe­BGC6vwjDw?­docId=6390­258

[JacksonJones]

11:00 AM on 03/29/2011

In fact, Israel has taken in Jewish refugees from quite a lot of places. After all, that's one of the reasons the Jews felt they needed to have self-determination.

[Greg Mirsky]

03:01 PM on 03/29/2011

I'd stress that Israel absorbed several millions of Jews who were forced to leave their homes after WWII. I'd ask everyone to re-read "millions of Jews were forced to leave their homes after Holocaust".
Israel is not only realization of 2000 year old Jewish hope for own homeland, but it's the only guarantor and protector of Jews around the world. If you haven't lived in any country but US or Western Europe, you, I'm afraid, would be able to comprehend that.

[garysgary]

10:00 AM on 03/29/2011

We're going to steal your land and if you don't like it we'll kill you.

[JacksonJones]

10:21 AM on 03/29/2011

That's strange. Hamasniks usually don't post here.

[Mazgi]

10:29 AM on 03/29/2011

Indeed, this is what the Palestinians did in the land known today as Israel, well, back then they were simply Arabs. They just settled in lands that do not belong to them. The rightful owners returned and took it back, LEGALLY.

[Michael II]

12:44 PM on 03/29/2011

The Bayeux tapestry is proof that Britain is in fact French! No, hang on, Italian as Caesar conquered it fair and square a couple of centuries ago.

[CrazyEyes]

09:35 AM on 03/29/2011

So bombing is not military retaliation?

[BestGuest]

09:58 AM on 03/29/2011

Of course not... didn't u see it on TV news they said it isn't?

They said the bombers will be loaded with hummus and halva for the ungrateful people of G@Z@ who probably won't appreciate |$rae|'s kind gesture and respond with lobbing missiles....

[TheLonelyGod]

10:03 AM on 03/29/2011

Israel hasn't bombed anyone for decades.

[CrazyEyes]

10:21 AM on 03/29/2011

Or days, as the case may be.

[tramagrama]

10:57 AM on 03/29/2011

Who needs bombing, when you can use sheer power of white phosphorus..!