Gaza Can Expect Retaliation

My trip to Israel was pretty calm and mostly free of obvious conflict. However, this past Tuesday February 2, 2010, bomb squads, both human and robotic, disarmed a 22 lb barrel of explosives on a beach in Netanya located in the North of Israel, 56 miles from Gaza. Palestinian militants launched eight barrels of explosives into the Mediterranean Sea to avenge the death of former Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh who was accused of smuggling rockets into the Gaza Strip to infiltrate Israel. While the bombs may have been intended to destroy Israeli ships, five out of the eight barrels have been washed ashore and the Israel continues to search for the remaining three. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas’s beach operation is viewed with “great severity” and promised that Israel will “act accordingly.” In response, late Monday afternoon Israeli warplanes attacked tunnels beneath the Gaza-Egypt border in reaction to the explosives and the firing of a rocket into Gaza. Israel will not tolerate terrorist actions against their country and citizens. Explosives of that size are said to “cripple small civilian vessels” but don’t stand a chance against “Israeli warships.”

The conflict above has increased tension on both sides as well as has substantially slowed negotiations for a long overdue prisoner swap. On June 25, 2006 19 year old Israeli Sergeant Gilad Shalit was abducted by Hamas allied radicals during a cross border attack. Hamas is demanding the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, most of which have committed severe crimes and have been charged with participation in various terrorist attacks against the Israelis. While Israel initially refused to negotiate or give in to the demands of the terrorist organization, through the support of France, the additional country that Schalit holds citizenship, and the European Union talks have progressed. Over the past three and a half years Israel has exhausted all diplomatic options of securing Shalit yet continues to be optimistic that he will be returned from terrorist captivity safe and sound without being seen as a triumph for terrorism.