16 November 2012 By Stephen
Lendman On November 14, Israel murdered
Hamas military commander Ahmed Jabari in cold blood. A
missile struck his car. Another passenger was killed.
Unconfirmed reports said it was his son. An IDF Twitter message said, "We
recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level
or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in
the days ahead." Press TV said Shin Bet claimed
responsibility. An official statement said: "During a joint operation of the
General Security Service (Shin Bet) and the IDF today,
Ahmed al-Jabari, the senior commander of the military
wing of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, was targeted." Attacks continue. Israel's
Operation Pillar of Cloud (aka Cloud Column) killed at
least nine Palestinians. Over 20 others were injured.
Authorities expect death and injury tolls to rise. Bombing and shelling continued
overnight. At least three more Palestinians were
killed. More were injured. Israel said over 20 sites were
targeted. Hamas' military wing, Izzeddin Qassam
Brigades, said Israel "opened the gates of hell." A
robust response was promised. Jabari is the most senior Hamas
official killed since Cast Lead. He was involved in
capturing Gilad Shalit. During his five years in
captivity, he led negotiations that freed him. Netanyahu said Israel chose this
time to "exact the heaviest price." Initially he added
that a significant military action wouldn't be
undertaken. In fact, it was initiated and remains
ongoing. Perhaps something greater is planned. Kadima opposition leader Shaul
Mofaz called killing Jabari and attacking Gaza a
"deterrence against Hamas in the long term. It isn't
the time to loosen our grip and relax. We must search
(out Hamas leaders) everywhere." Former Kadima chairwoman Tzipi
Livni called the killing an "appropriate assassination
of the head of a terror organization that is
responsible for spilling the blood of Israeli
citizens." Labor leader Shelly Yacimovich
said Jabari had the "blood of many Israelis on his
hands. (He) was the arch terrorist of the extremist
Hamas organization." Killing him was "justified." Knesset State Comptroller's
Committee chairman, MK Uri Ariel said: "Let the IDF win. This pinpoint
attack cannot be our final act. Israel needs to
continue and hit the terrorist organizations in the
Gaza Strip with all its might." "The Israeli government must keep
up the pressure until it topples the evil regime that
is keeping thousands of Israeli residents from leading
normal and peaceful lives." Other Israeli officials made
similar comments. Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz was
nonbelligerent, saying: "Stop the escalation in Gaza. It
is a petty bloody circle. War will not solve
anything." Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq
said killing Jabari won't "break the will of our
people nor weaken our resistance." He accused
Netanyahu of committing a war crime to boost his
reelection chances. Doing so, he warned, may "cost him
his political future." Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum
called killing Jabari a "declaration of war." Revenge
was promised. "The occupation has committed a grave
crime and crossed all red lines." "The enemy will pay a heavy price
for its crime and will regret the moment it thought of
perpetrating it." Israel launched war but doesn't
know how to end it. Islamic Jihad spokesman Abu Ahmed
said attacks would follow in hours. He also called
killing Jabari a "declaration of war." Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh
called on Arab states to help stop Israel's "barbaric"
assault. An Izzeddin Qassam Brigades
statement said, "From this night, the Israeli
occupation will be living in hell." What may be is planned is
worrisome. Defense Secretary Ehud Barak called up
Israeli reserves. All options are on the table, he
stressed. A ground operation may or may not follow. Haaretz headlined "Israel
launches military operation in Gaza." A timeline
followed, saying: On November 14 at 7:37PM, the
Palestinian death toll rose to seven. Another 20
others were wounded. At 7:42 PM, Shimon Peres spoke to
Obama by phone. He said Jabari was responsible for
"terrorist" attacks. He lied, but both sides accept
this explanation. At 7:45 PM, Abbas called for an
urgent Arab League meeting. At 7:50PM, Barak called for
"special situation" status on the home front at a
distance of 40 km from Gaza. Government approval is
needed. At 7:59PM, Be'er Sheva alarms
told residents to seek shelter from rocket attacks. At 8:03PM, eight Palestinian
deaths were reported. Another 30 were wounded. At 8:09PM, Palestinians reported
an explosion at the home of former Fatah security
head, Rashid Abu Shabak in Gaza. At 8:11PM, rocket fire struck a
parked vehicle in Be'er Sheva. At 8:12PM, Be'er Sheva alarms
again sounded. Rocket fire was reported. At 8:17, 8:19, and 8:20PM, more
rockets were fired. At 8:37PM, Netanyahu accused
Hamas and Islamic Jihad of harming Israelis. At 8:40PM, Israel's US embassy
said surgical strikes showed restraint in responding
to Hamas rockets. At 8:50PM, rockets were fired
toward Dimona for the first time. At 9:21PM, Israeli gunboats
shelled Gaza. At 9:18PM, Jimmy Carter condemned
attacks on both sides. Press TV said Israeli warships
fired missiles on Gaza. Egypt recalled its Israeli
ambassador. Reuters said Egypt condemned Israeli
attacks on Gaza. Foreign Minister Kamel Amr demanded
they stop immediately. Failure "could have negative
repercussions on the security and stability of the
region." Israel's escalation is "very dangerous." Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
Freedom and Justice Party political wing said: FJP "stresses its full
condemnation to the Israeli assignation operation
against Al-Qassam leader Ahmed Al-Jabari." "Israel's return to the policy of
assignation of leaders from the Palestinian struggle
groups shows that the Israeli occupation wants to drag
the region towards instability." "But the occupying state has to
understand that the changes the Arab region, and
especially Egypt, have witnessed will not permit that
the Palestinian people be put under the hold of the
Israeli offense in the same way as the past." "The wanton aggression against
Gaza proves that Israel has yet to realize that Egypt
has changed and that the Egyptian people who revolted
against oppression/ injustice will not accept
assaulting Gaza." On November 14, Haaretz headlined
"Hit on Hamas military chief is only the beginning,"
saying: "This is not just 'another'
assassination, but rather a hit on one of the top
people in the movement and the person in the
leadership most identified with the terror struggle
against Israel." Israel's action is the beginning
of more to come. Retaliatory attacks will follow.
Expect Israel to use them as justification for further
strikes. Perhaps Cast Lead 2 is planned. The fullness
of time will tell. Haaretz said Hamas has Fajr
rockets. Their range is 75km. They can strike Tel Aviv
and other urban areas. Whether this "Judgment Day"
weapon will be used remains to be seen. Israel attacked 20 underground
sites believed to store them. Reports didn't claim
success. It bears repeating what previous articles
stressed. On January 22, Netanyahu faces reelection.
Perhaps he thinks killing Gazans increases his
prospects. Once attacks begin and escalate,
who knows how they'll end. Death and destruction
begets more of it. The more Israel attacks Gaza, the
more Arab street anger will grow. So will anti-Israeli
sentiment elsewhere. Israelis perhaps approve. Jabari
may be viewed as Netanyahu's bin Laden. Expect his
reelection strategy to stress it. Israel removed its
main terrorist threat, he'll say. Gullible Israelis may believe it.
Opposition candidates won't refute him. If greater
escalation follows, all bets are off. War benefits often have short
shelf life benefits. Netanyahu needs boosting until
January 22. If reelected, he'll worry less
about approval afterwards. Blood on his hands will
remain. Stephen Lendman lives in
Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book is titled "How Wall Street Fleeces
America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and
Class War"
http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit his
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