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“Hamas slammed Israel for the escalation. Spokesman Sami Abu Zori: We will continue to defend our people against these crimes. We warn the occupation not to continue its crimes against our people, and we assure the resistance is ready to defend (against) this aggression.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/08/us-palestinians-israel-idUSKBN0FC0JP20140708 – 7/8/2014.
Tally from recent days —
Three Israeli teens kidnapped and murdered;
Today alone, more than 120 rocket attacks launched on Israel since midnight;
One assault on Israel by sea and another by tunnel.
Related:
It is unclear, as of this posting, if the explosion was an intentional method of breaking out of the tunnel within Israeli territory.
Residents are being told to shelter in place, as initial reports indicate heavy exchanges of gunfire, and IDF helicopters hovering in the vicinity.
In longitudinal time, the numbers reflecting assaults on Israel’s sovereignty also describe provocation for today’s “exchanges”: http://www.shabak.gov.il/ENGLISH/ENTERRORDATA/Pages/default.aspx
Related (from June 29, 2014): http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/06/29/isis-now-openly-operating-in-gaza-flags-seen-waving-at-funeral-video/
Israel’s former Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren stepped out on rooftop in Tel Aviv to tell the world in a proprietary Facebook video, ” ” . . . also out having fun . . . going about their lives normally . . . we will not letter terror . . . deprive us of the joys of life . . . .’ ”
“We will not tolerate rocket fire against our cities and townships, and therefore I ordered a significant broadening of IDF (Israel Defense Force) operations against the terrorists of Hamas and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/08/israel-launches-military-offensive_n_5565848.html – 7/8/2014.
Loosely related to “Hamafia”: http://www.frontpagemag.com/2012/steve-feldman/gaza-prison-or-paradise/ – 11/14/2012.
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