Hamas controls the part of Palestine know as Gaza. The largest part of the Palestinian territory is the West Bank and is controlled by Fatah. This split in the Palestinian leadership occurred after a civil war between Fatah and Hamas in 2006: Fatah wanted to work with Israel on a two-state solution while Hamas refused to acknowledge Israel's existence.
On June 17th, 2008, and Egyptian-brokered cease-fire between Hamas and Israel was agreed to by both sides. But the cease-fire only applied to Israel. During this time rocket attacks on Israel, originating from Gaza, never ceased. This was highlighted during the Presidential elections last Summer when then-candidate Barack Obama visted the town of Sderot, a target of repeated rocket and mortar attacks.
...he held a news conference in Sderot, the southern town that has borne the brunt of the Gaza rocket attacks, saying he does not "think any country would find it acceptable to have missiles raining down on the heads of their citizens."
"If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I'm going to do everything in my power to stop that," Obama said at the time. "And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing."
Indeed.
On December 23rd, 2008, Hamas announced that the 6-month "cease-fire" was over and blamed Israel for its demise. The next day, over 70 rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza.
This weekend, Israel struck back.
In the first two days of the operation Israeli jets destroyed at least 30 targets in Gaza, including the main security compound and prison in Gaza City known as the Saraya, metal workshops throughout Gaza that were suspected of manufacturing rockets, and Hamas military posts.
Hamas said Israel bombed a government ministry compound and the Islamic University in Gaza, a stronghold of Hamas, late Sunday night. The Hamas-owned television station Al Aqsa was also struck, as was a mosque that the Israeli military said was being used as a terrorist base.
On Monday, Israeli warplanes bombed the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, Reuters reported, based on a Hamas statement.
Israel appeared to be settling in for a longer haul. The government on Sunday approved the emergency call-up of thousands of army reservists in preparation for a possible ground operation as Israeli troops, tanks, armored personnel carriers and armored bulldozers massed at the border.
Bush blames Hamas, Egypt blames Hamas and has closed the border with Gaza.
Iran, Hezbollah, and the American Left blame Israel.
But from where I sit, Israel has been more patient that we would have been if Mexico had been sending rockets regularly into Tucson.
For six months.
Don't you think?
So the cease-fire is over. Exactly what was it that Hamas and the people in Gaza expected?
