Israel At War

"We are determined to continue the campaign with all means and as is needed."
"We will not stop until we secure full security and quiet for the residents of the south and all citizens of Israel."
"The commanders of terror organizations are a legitimate target, no one is immune."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

"For years, Mohammed Deif has been hiding in the tunnels underneath Gaza, and that is where he will remain because he's a dead man."
"To Deif and his gang, I want to say clearly: Just as the United States did not rest until it found bin Laden and eliminated him, we will find you and bring you to justice."
Yair Lapid, Finance Minister, Security Cabinet, Israel

Palestinians gather around the rubble of a house that witnesses said was destroyed in the airstrike that killed the three senior Hamas commanders. Wissam Nassar for The New York Times

The six-day temporary truce collapsed when the talks mediated by Egypt broke down with no agreement on an extended ceasefire. It broke down because, according to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Qatar instructed Hamas to turn down the Egyptian proposals. Palestinian terrorists resumed rocket fire hours before the extended ceasefire came to an end. And Israel responded by carrying out air strikes across Gaza.

One of those air strikes targeted a Gaza City home where intelligence instructed that Mohammed Deif, the designer of Hamas's Qassam rockets, and leader of the armed wing of Hamas, the Izzidine al-Qassam Brigades was at home with one of his wives and his infant son. While the woman was killed along with the infant, Hamas authorities deny that Mr. Deif, who had been targeted in previous assassination attempts, was also killed

Hamas's demands that the blockade be lifted by Israel and Egypt, that a Gaza sea port be built, and an airport as well, opening Gaza up to normal trade opportunities, could never have been accepted, when it was balanced by Israel's demand that Hamas be demilitarized. Hamas wanted all of its demands met, but refused to consider even partial surrender of its arms and its rockets. So much for delusional insanity. So, the return to hostilities and a guarantee of even greater numbers of Palestinian deaths.

Even as Hamas leaders mocked Israel for its failure to kill Mohammed Deif, though no evidence has been brought forward that he remains alive, Hamas soon enough changed its tone from triumph to a drop in morale with an admission a day later that three of its top commanders have been put out of commission by an Israeli plan to reduce their command and an effective strike.

The Qassam Brigades announced that Mohammed Abu Shamala, Raed al-Attar and Mohammed Barhoum were killed in Rafah's al-Sultan neighbourhood. And Prime Minister Netanyahu gave praise to the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, for "the extraordinary intelligence gathered" leading to the dispatch of the Hamas commanders. Without doubt, Hamas will have reason once again to hunt down and put to death Palestinian Gazans whom it will accuse of aiding the enemy.

Palestinian mourners carrying the bodies of the three Hamas senior commanders, during their funeral in the Rafah refugee camp. Wissam Nassar for The New York Times