Palestinian Militants In Gaza Have Anti-Aircraft Missiles

Photo: Strela SA-7 portable missile launcher

Gaza Militants May Possess Surface-To-Air Missiles -- Digital Journal

Recent events indicate that militants based in the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip may possess portable surface to air anti-aircraft missiles.

Corroborating reports from the Jerusalem Post and the Associated Press state that portable surface to air missile launchers indicate that a "significant" number of small anti-aircraft weapons may have been smuggled into the narrow Gaza Strip from Libya over the past year.

The Israeli military has to date refused to give a comment regarding a report that indicates one of the Israeli Air Force's military helicopters came under fire from a Strela SA-7 portable missile launcher last week.

Read more ....

More News On Hamas Having Surface To Air Missiles

Israel: In escalation, Palestinian militants fired anti-aircraft missile for first time -- Washington Post/AP
Israel official says Gaza militants getting anti-aircraft missiles from Libyan war leftovers -- Washington Post/AP
‘Gaza Terrorists Fired Missile at Israeli Aircraft’ Last Week -- Arutz Sheva
Israel claims Palestinian resistance in Gaza fired anti-aircraft missile at its warplane -- allVoices

Military Clashes Continue Between Israel And Gaza

Palestinians carry the body of Makawi during his funeral in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Daily Star

Israeli Air Force Strikes Gaza Following Hamas Mortar Attack -- Bloomberg Businessweek

Israel’s air force hit the Gaza Strip for a second time in 24 hours after a barrage of mortar shells and rockets struck the south of the country, the army said.

Five people were wounded in the air strike, Asharf al- Qedra, spokesman for the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, told reporters today. Earlier, as many as many as 30 mortar shells and rockets hit southern Israel, causing no injuries, the army said. Hamas and Islamic Jihad jointly claimed responsibility for the attack.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Clashes Between Israel And Gaza

Israel and Palestinian Militants in Missile Battle -- Wall Street Journal
Israel launches strikes on Gaza after rocket fire -- BBC
Palestinians: Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 1, wound 15 -- CNN
Israel Launches Airstrikes After Attacks From Gaza -- New York Times
Israel strikes Gaza targets afterrocket exchange with militants -- Daily Star/Reuters
IDF strikes Gaza sites in response to Hamas rocket fire -- Haaretz
Hamas launches rockets at Israel in order to save face in Gaza -- Haaretz

Israel And Gaza Militants Agree To A Ceasefire

Egyptian Official: Israel, Gaza Agree To Cease-Fire -- CNN

Gaza City (CNN) -- After days of pounding violence, Palestinian and Israeli authorities have agreed to a truce and to stop all military operations, an Egyptian intelligence official told CNN early Tuesday.

The agreement was reached with the help of Egyptian mediators, the official said.

Israeli government spokesman David Baker did not immediately comment on the reported cease-fire.

Read more ....

More News On An Israeli - Gaza Cease-Fire

Israel and Gaza militants 'agree' truce after clashes -- BBC
Egypt: Cease-Fire Between Israel, Gaza Militants -- ABC News/AP
Israel, Gaza militants agree to truce: Egypt official -- Times of India/Reuters
Israel and militants 'agree truce' -- Press Association
Egypt brokers Gaza truce after days of bloodshed -- Hindustan Times/AFP
Egypt brokers Gaza truce -- Sydney Morning Herald
Egypt official: Israel, Gaza militants agree to ceasefire -- Haaretz
Gaza-Israel clashes: The view from each side -- BBC
Behind the scenes, both Israel and Hamas want an end to latest violence -- Haaretz

Gaza - Israel Battles Continue

Gaza-Israel Violence Enters 4th Day -- CNN

Gaza City (CNN) -- Five people were killed Monday in Gaza, the latest deaths in days of airstrikes that marked the worst escalation of violence in the coastal territory in months, Palestinian officials said.

Israel has said its airstrikes have targeted militant rocket launching sites across the Palestinian territory in response to more than 100 rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel since Friday.

At least 23 people have been killed in strikes since Friday, while at least 75 people have been wounded.

Read more ....

More News On The Israeli - Gaza Conflict

Israeli Strikes Kill 5 in Gaza -- Wall Street Journal
Grad rockets slam into Ashdod, Gedera -- Jerusalem Post
5 die in strikes on Gaza, militants barrage Israel -- AP
3 Palestinians killed as attacks continue between Israel, militants -- L.A. Times
Gaza rockets strike 40 km south of Tel Aviv, on fourth day of heavy barrage -- Haaretz
Israel air strikes on Gaza Strip continue into fourth day -- The Telegraph
PM: We'll continue striking terrorists aggressively -- Jerusalem Post
U.N., U.S. urge end to Israel, Gaza violence flare-up -- Reuters
Hamas sees ceasefire soon; PRC, Islamic Jihad disagree -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
Netanyahu: Israel is prepared to step up fighting against Gaza if rockets continue -- Haaretz
Analysis: Gaza presses Israel -- YNet
As tensions flare between Gaza and Israel, Hamas may be forced to act -- Patrick Martin, Globe and Mail

Getting Ready For The Next Israel - Hamas War

Photo: The UN says at least 62 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli action in Gaza so far this year

New Gaza War 'A Question Of When, Not If' -- BBC

A senior Israeli army officer has told the BBC that as long as Hamas remains in control of the Gaza Strip, another war is "a question of when, not if".

He said the Palestinian Islamist group had rearmed so much since the Israeli offensive two years ago that it was now in a stronger position militarily.

There has been an increase in rocket fire coming from Gaza in the past week.

Earlier, Israeli defence officials said tanks fitted with a new missile defence system would be deployed near Gaza.

Read more ....

Update: Remember Cast Lead -- Jerusalem Post

My Comment: With US efforts in the Middle East peace process failing, the stage is now being set for a resumption (and increase) in Israeli - Palestinian arm skirmishes. Gaza will be the flash point .... and both Hamas and the Israeli military are now positioning themselves for that eventual conflict.

The "Mother Of All Flotillas" Being Prepared For Gaza

Photo by: IDF

Israel Gearing Up For ‘Mother Of All Flotillas’ -- Jerusalem Post

NGOs planning to sail up to 20 ships to Gaza in coming months; IDF closely tracking planned flotilla, preparing for wide-range of scenarios.

Israel is preparing for what is being described in the IDF as the “mother of all flotillas,” which could include up to 20 different ships planning to set sail for the Gaza Strip in the coming months.

The flotilla is being organized by a coalition of NGOs from Europe and the United States, including a group calling itself European Jews for a Just Peace.

Read more ....

Update: Groups plan another flotilla to Gaza -- UPI

My Comment: My prediction, another PR event that will dominate the news for a week next month.

The Rise Of Radical Islamic Groups In The Gaza Strip

A convoy of Israeli tanks moves towards border with Gaza

Threat From Salafists Emerges As Hamas And Israel Break From Fighting -- Times Online

Neither Israel nor Hamas can claim any real victory a year after Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli offensive to stamp out rocket fire in the south. Neither believed that the war ended conclusively.

Palestinian militants have largely stopped firing rockets but Israeli military leaders warn that Hamas is stockpiling more effective weapons, with a range that reaches as far as Tel Aviv, in expectation of the next round of fighting. Pro-Palestinian groups are filing war crimes lawsuits in European courts, putting Israeli political and military leaders at risk of arrest whenever they travel abroad.

Read more ....

My Comment: It is hard to believe that even more radical Islamic groups can organize and develop in the Middle East .... but for some groups in the Gaza strip this is exactly what is happening.

Still .... Hamas is the group that still controls the Gaza Strip.