Summer rains: it is not only the weather that got crazy, by Yahal Porat
Lately we are witnessing another escalation of violence in theGaza strip. Who started this time, why, and what will happen?
There is absolutely no way to understand the recent conflict without knowing the past, the history of it. But anyhow, in order to try and make it as simple as possible lets go back to the disengagement. As you all probably remember, Israel has decided unilaterally to pull out from Gaza strip. The Gaza strip was occupied since 1967 six-day war, and a dozen or so settlements were built inside the strip.
By 2005, after more than 4 very hard years of fighting between Israel and Palestinians, (what is known as the second Intifada), the current Prime Minster at the time, Ariel Sharon, decided to pull out from Gaza. Among other reasons he said Gaza was so crowded with Palestinians that Israel will never be able to hold under military occupation for a long while; and that it will make the Palestinians in charge of themselves them, when all Israelis will live on the other side of the border.
So by summer 2005 Israel had pulled its entire military and civilians from the Gaza strip, to leave it under the PA's (Palestinian authority) rule. The second Intifada had stopped a few months before the disengagement, and the semi cease-fire lasted almost 16 months. Meanwhile in the PA territories the first general democratic election was held, and Hamas, a terrorist group according to Israel and the western countries, went into power. Still Hamas decided to accept the truce, even though not recognising Israel's right to exist.
Lately the cease-fire has ended due to escalation of violence on both sides. Different small groups continued to fire rockets over the little border town of Sderot, causing a few causalities and a lot of damage, while the IDF shot and killed a few high post Hamas leaders. It all turned wrong when Israel had killed almost 30 Palestinian civilians in 4 different occasions. The Israeli jets missiles have missed badly causing a mass Balagan in Gaza city and around.
Not long after that Palestinians not only kept the rocket attack over the border towns but also attacked an IDF base outside the Gaza strip, killing two soldiers and kidnapped one, Gilad Shalit. The group that kidnapped Gilad took him into the Gaza strip, to an unknown location. Israel has reacted almost immediately by attacking the Gaza strip from the air; bombing infrastructures and killing armed terrorists. While doing so, of course, as in war, civilians were killed. The IDF forces went into the Gaza strip for the first time after the disengagement and have hold in few different places. And lastly, by Thursday, 17 Palestinians were killed, among them at least one civilian, while an Israeli soldier got hit as well and died from a Palestinian sniper’s bullet.
So where is it going to? Will it soon become another war? And what will happen to the kidnapped soldier?
I think it is not going to be more than a short, but harmful round of violence. More casualties of course, but not for long. And the kidnapped soldier will be realised finally when a deal will be signed with Israel and Palestinian prisoners will be in return be realised.
What do you say? What will really happen? And what shall we do about it? Go the message board to have your say and tell us your views.
To read more:
www.haaretz.com
www.ynet.com
http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Home/Jewish+Agency+Resources/Highlights/Archive/2006/jul06a.htm |
