Rockets continue in the South

Nov. 24, 2008

Since the cease-fire (more accurately called a tadiyeh, or calm) that was declared on June 19, more than 90 rockets have been launched by Hamas in Gaza at Israelis. More than a third of these rockets fell in one November day alone (35 on Nov. 5).

Israel has held her fire for the most part until recently. But during the tadiyeh, Hamas has been smuggling in arms from Egypt through its vast tunnel network that reaches under the border and has conducted major training session for its fighters.

This is what Israelis have known and tried to say all along, but the Palestinians are also admitting it: A Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees rep told the London newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that terrorists have used the tahdiyeh “to train in the abduction of [Israeli] soldiers and martial arts,” and he threatened Israel with “unpleasant surprises.”

And who doesn't love surprises?

Meanwhile, Hamas took it as a sign of victory when the Israel Defense Forces moved out permanently from their base at Zikim, south of Ashkelon, last week. The base is within a couple miles of Gaza. A rocket attack on the base wounded 69 soldiers in 2007.

Former Defense Minister Moshe Arens said the army's decision is a reflection of "the government's reckless policy of retreating instead of fighting our enemies." Such retreat only encourages the enemy to continue firing rockets, he said.

Hamas agrees. Palestinians, predictably, gloated and claimed victory. From Ynet:

"The evacuation of Zikim serves as further proof that the IDF is going from defeat to defeat," Abu Abur, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), told Ynet. "It began with the withdrawal from Lebanon (May 2000), the pullout from Gaza (August 2005), the defeat in the Second Lebanon War (summer 2006) and, of course, the daily beating from the Palestinian resistance. Zikim won't be the last place from which Israelis will be evacuated."

This is why the next election is all about land-for-peace. Withdrawal hasn't worked any time it has been practiced in recent history.