Terrorism -- Pure and Simple

"Enough is enough!" 
"The sole aim of these terrorists is to kill, maim and terrorize citizens of Israel. These actions by Hamas and Islamic Jihad are simply unconscionable."
"No other nation on Earth would tolerate this . . . We affirm Israel's right to defend itself and urge all nations to call these actions out for what they are - terrorism pure and simple."
Joint statement: U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, U.S. special envoy for combating anti-Semitism, Elan Carr, American ambassadors to the EU, France, Germany, Portugal, and Switzerland

Rockets fired towards Israel from the Gaza Strip, May 4, 2019 AFP

The firing of hundreds of rockets out of Gaza into Israel by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists began on Saturday, when all assaults against Israel appear to begin, following Friday prayers in mosques where religious authorities give vent to the universal Arab spleen on the existence of the Jewish state. That day saw an estimated 200 rockets lobbed across the border, continuing on through the weekend when the number of rocket attacks finally totalled 600.

These attacks needless to say sent tens of thousands of Israelis of all ages into bomb shelters, time and again, both day and night. The rockets have a twofold purpose, to achieve terror and in that process serendipitously kill or maim as many Israelis as possible, and at the same time drawing reciprocal attacks from the Israel Defence Force back into Gaza to 'sacrifice' Palestinian lives to the goal of attracting world notice to the IDF firing on civilians. The greater the civilian death toll the better the propaganda value.

The Hamas claim that two pregnant women and their infant children were killed in Israeli artillery fire was a triumph for their 'public relations' spin since both children and pregnant women, representing hugely vulnerable groups, were involved. That Hamas and Islamic Jihad know full well that lobbing rockets from civilian enclaves into Israel will elicit retaliatory strikes targeting the rocket sites that will inevitably also strike Palestinian civilians is part and parcel of the plan to use them as shields.

In the instance of that particular death toll, it was they themselves responsible for a rocket that fell short, landing back in Gaza, that killed one of the toddlers and the mother. But these are niggling details to the terrorists. Videos of Palestinians beside themselves with glee in celebration over the rockets falling on Israeli citizens show just how responsible Palestinians themselves are for the fact that they are led by pathological psychopaths extolling hatred and death as virtues.

Israelis taking cover from incoming rockets from Gaza targeting the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon

Four Israelis, among them a 72-year-old man were killed so far, as well as an 80-year-old woman. Unable to muster sufficient speed to reach a shelter, she was seriously wounded and died of her injuries. Twelve Palestinians, including that pregnant mother and baby daughter killed by a Hamas rocket, died as well, and many more were grievously wounded, on both sides. No doubt a source of great satisfaction to both terrorist groups leaving them with the impression of another success.

Tellingly, both Hamas and Islamic Jihad emissaries were in Cairo at the time of this violent breakout ostensibly negotiating with Egyptian mediators attempting to broker an extended period of calm in the most recent ceasefire. The last time this scenario played out, the Egyptian mediators were furious at the display of duplicity. Perhaps by now they're accustomed to it; it is, however, typical of Islamists portraying themselves as sinned against, simply resorting to violence because they have been provoked.

In Israel, air raid sirens are sounding continuously across southern Israel in response to the rocket barrages. The airstrikes in retaliation in Gaza were responsible for large explosions across Gaza, smoke plumes rising into the atmosphere. Palestinians themselves, though they agitate against the lock that Hamas has on their lives in Gaza, protesting the situation, still speak of the Israeli "occupation", when it is Hamas that "occupies" Gaza militantly, repressively, aggressively.

Islamic Jihad shot and wounded two Israeli soldiers on Friday. This commenced the round of rocket attacks with the claims that Israel had broken the agreement of an earlier truce. In fact, Israel had agreed to partially lift the Gaza blockade in exchange for a cessation of rocket fire. Egypt's blockade of Gaza remains in place. Israel ships food, medical supplies, building materials and fuel through to Gaza and allows the entry of necessities for the Palestinians.

Hamas, with its iron grip on Gaza, diverts needed building materials for civil infrastructure and homes to use for tunnel building, a costly enterprise that robs Palestinians of their fundamental needs leaving them mired in poverty and unemployment. The greater interests of attacking Israel to achieve the long-range goal of its destruction is of far greater importance to Hamas than improving the living condition of Palestinians in Gaza, while blaming Israel for their plight.

Smoke rises from an explosion after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Sunday, May 5, 2019. The Israeli military said Sunday it had responded to more than 600 rockets fired from Gaza with more than 250 airstrikes against the besieged Palestinian enclave. (AP Photo/Hatem Mo ussa)