[Vision2020] News from Israel

[Rosemary Huskey]

Friday, November 16th   |   2 Kislev 5773 

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I rely on Algemeiner <http://www.algemeiner.com/>   for my news from Israel.
"Labeled the fastest growing Jewish newspaper <http://www.algemeiner.com>
in America, the NEW Algemeiner serves as a valiant media voice addressing
the most compelling issues of our time, with vision, integrity and moral
clarity."  This perspective, (which I support) offers background and
reporting not generally found in U.S. newspapers.


"Israel Launches
<http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/14/israel-launches-pillar-of-defense-oper
ation-in-gaza-decapitation-wave-against-hamas-terror-leadership/> "Pillar of
Defense" Operation in Gaza, "Decapitation Wave" Against Hamas Terror
Leadership 

November 14, 2012 11:42 am 

The IDF has launched a major Gaza operation named "Amud Annan (Pillar/Column
of Defense)" with the goal of taking "out a large piece of the (Hamas)
command structure without toppling the regime," a knowledgeable source in
Jerusalem told The Algemeiner.

IDF Spokesperson Eytan Buchman confirmed to The Algemeiner that "the
operation began about an hour ago with a pin-point strike on Hamas terror
chief al-Jabari, "Since then" he said,  "we have targeted about 20 different
sites in the Gaza strip focusing specifically in long range rocket
capabilities that have been developed in Gaza."

Bachman told The Algemeiner that there is "no focus on other individuals at
this point but all the options are on the table." A ground invasion is also
not planned at the moment.

"The point of operation is to cripple terrorist infrastructure that has
developed in the Gaza strip and has received significant assistance from
Iran, " he said, "One of the best examples are the Fajr rockets which we
have targeted that have a range of over 25 miles."

Another IDF spokesperson told Israel's Channel 2 TV that "we target Hamas
and Jihad leaders and Fajr-5 40 km rockets in order to deny Hamas the
strategic option of escalating the conflict. A ground invasion is planned
for if necessary, and mobilization orders are ready. "The main purpose" he
said, is "to end the harassment of the Israeli South."

Asked how long the operation was expected to go on for, Bachman said there
is no specific timetable, "we will go on as long as we need to, we had over
a million Israelis in bomb shelters over the last four days, that situation
is untenable."

Regarding a possible escalation in rocket attacks from Gaza Bachman said,
"we are prepared for any response that may come, we are confident in our
abilities to significantly impair Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist
organizations."

"We have shown enormous restraint and have been gathering very precise
intelligence over the last four months on rockets and other terror sites and
now we are acting on that intelligence," he concluded.

"The talk is about a "decapitation wave" against Hamas," The Algemeiner's
Jerusalem source added, now "that the human shield Gilad Shalit is no more,
(the aim is) to kill as many terrorist leaders involved in his capture,
holding and exchanging Shalit, to destroy Fajr-5 long-range rockets (that
can reach Tel Aviv) and to reassert the deterrent without (so far) land
invasion."

Military sources told The Algemeiner that "A significant number of munitions
depot's are within civilian, residential buildings. This fact is another
illustration of Hamas' modus operandi which uses the civilian population in
Gaza as a human shield."

The operation follows four days of escalated rocket attacks from Gaza during
which over 150 projectiles were fired at civilian communities in southern
Israel. Israeli leaders have made clear in recent days that the country
would not tolerate the continued attacks.

The operation began with the
<http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/14/breaking-idf-kills-hamas-terror-master
mind-ahmed-al-jabari/>  assassination of Hamas terror mastermind Ahmed
al-Jabari earlier today. A statement from the Shin Bet about the strike
said, "Jabari was responsible for financing and directing military
operations and attacks against Israel. His elimination today is a message to
Hamas officials in Gaza that if they continue promoting terrorism against
Israel, they will be hurt."

IDF Spokesman Yoav Mordechai told the Jerusalem Post that al-Jabari was a
man with "a lot of blood on his hands."

The naming if the operation is drawn from biblical verses in Exodus, that
refer to a column of smoke that led and protected the Israelites during
their sojourns in the desert ."

http://www.algemeiner.com

 

 

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