Gaza and Southern Israel are Burning

Gaza and Southern Israel are burning! Hamas and their allies, Islamic Jihad, have upgraded the frequency of Qassam rocket fire into Southern Israel to Sderot and even as far as Ashkelon. The havoc, damage and injuries as a result are increasing and there is no sign of any cessation of this form of terror. It is hard to understand what Hamas hopes to gain by this violence. The loss of life because of Israeli Army retaliations for the Palestinians is even greater.

Hamas is acting in a most irresponsible manner towards their people. It wants to liberate all of Palestine and establish a radical Islamic state in place of Israel. It has gained notoriety with its assassinations, car bombs and other acts of terrorism. The death toll is mounting in Gaza and at the same time so is the Qassam rocket fire towards Sderot and its environment. The damage to homes in this area which is deprived economically is horrendous. While the death rate in Israel is low compared to the Palestinian death rate, the casualties, because of shellshock, is increasing. Ambulances are taking the injured to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon at an increasing rate. Perhaps Hamas is doing this as a digression from the problems that they are having with Fatah. There is civil war between Hamas and Fatah in a power struggle.

The Hamas leadership carries on with its violent anti-Israel rhetoric, goading the Palestinian people to terror and martyrdom. There is no hint of pragmatism or any desire to cease the Qassam rocket fire. Does Hamas, in its fantasy world really believe that by their terrorist activity, Israel will surrender and cease to exist? What does Hamas intend to achieve? Their programme is steeped in blood and hate! They are on a mission of self-destruction! They have achieved nothing for their people. They are destroying what remains of their infra-structure by provoking Israel into retaliating. The statistics on death and destruction in Gaza are on the rise. The mistakes of the Israeli Army in its quest to root out the terrorists are also rising. Many innocent Palestinians caught up in the cross-fire are being killed. So many innocent people on both sides of the conflict are injured and dying – why? Innocent Palestinians and Israelis have had enough! The time is more than ripe for peace. While Hamas rules there will never be peace. Hamas is a parasitic organization that feeds on hate and self-destruction. While Gaza burns, the negotiations between Israel and the West Bank Palestinian leadership are meaningless.

While it might be hard to believe, Israel must be held accountable for the creation of Hamas. Israel and Hamas may currently be locked in deadly combat, but, according to several current and former U.S. intelligence officials, beginning in the late 1970s, Tel Aviv gave direct and indirect financial aid to Hamas over a period of years.

According to a report from the Institute of Counter-Terrorism, Israel wanted to weaken the influence of the PLO by financing Hamas. It was a policy of “divide and rule”. This policy had backfired and Israel and the Palestinians today are reaping the fruits of Israel’s unwise policy:

“According to ICT papers, Hamas was legally registered in Israel in 1978 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the movement's spiritual leader, as an Islamic Association by the name Al-Mujamma al Islami, which widened its base of supporters and sympathizers by religious propaganda and social work.

According to U.S. administration officials, funds for the movement came from the oil-producing states and directly and indirectly from Israel. The PLO was secular and leftist and promoted Palestinian nationalism. Hamas wanted to set up a transnational state under the rule of Islam, much like Khomeini's Iran”.

While Israel hammers Gaza in retaliation for the Qassam rocket fire, it also somehow strengthens the resolve of the Hamas murderers. Gaza is a huge Palestinian prison under severe stress. It is blockaded on all sides. It has a large number of refugee camps living in severe poverty and squalor. The refugees have no future and this is the ideal breeding ground for hatred against Israel. They are subjected to humiliating and devastating Israel Army incursions. Hate is excellent fertilizer to Hamas. Added to this is the immense overcrowding. Hamas takes advantage of this situation for its own ends. It does not even try to alleviate the horrifying conditions in the refugee camps. Hamas’s strength lies in Palestinian suffering, much of which is their creation. While the refugee camps remain a severe problem, nothing has been done to solve this human tragedy. It is Israel’s problem no less than the Palestinians’ problem. If this problem is not solved and the refugees rehabilitated, the violence will increase and there will be a human explosion that will be grist to the mill of Hamas. This grist is Hamas’s lifeblood and Hamas does not intend to alleviate the situation or rule responsibly.

Israel has adopted a “carrot and stick” policy as regards Hamas. It will not work while Hamas remains steadfast in its attitude of non-recognition and non-negotiation with Israel. The Gaza human tragedy will only get worse. Hamas is taking advantage of Palestinian suffering to entrench itself in power. The firing of Qassam rockets into Israel will increase Israel’s resolve to enter Gaza and this will result in heavy loss of life to both sides.