Category Archives: War

Hamas planned conflict long in advance

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Victor Rosenthal

This morning I awoke to hear that at least 13, probably more, IDF soldiers were killed in battles with Hamas fighters in Gaza. Quite a few Hamasniks, and undoubtedly some civilians were killed as well. Now we are beginning to … Continue reading →

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Some notes on law and war

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Victor Rosenthal

Many observers have pointed out that the asymmetric nature of the conflict between Israel and Hamas greatly favors Hamas. Elan Journo argues that the international laws of war “abet Hamas [and] undercut Israel”: We can all agree that civilian casualties … Continue reading →

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Israel chalks up another first in the history of warfare

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Victor Rosenthal

When the US attacked Iraq in 2003, one of the first weapons delivered by Tomahawk missiles was the BLU-114/B. Sometimes called the ‘soft bomb’, ‘blackout bomb’ or graphite bomb, it is a canister packed with tiny electrically conductive filaments made … Continue reading →

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How to bring the war to Hamas

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Victor Rosenthal

As everyone knows, Hamas has embedded its command posts, rocket launchers and weapons storage facilities within the civilian population of Gaza. This makes it difficult to destroy them from the air without large numbers of civilian casualties. It is also … Continue reading →

Posted in War | 4 Comments

Cease-fire talk, and a failed rocket barrage

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Victor Rosenthal

As I write, Hamas TV is displaying a count-down timer to a promised massive barrage of more-powerful rockets (called J-80’s) against Tel Aviv. It will begin in about 5 minutes from now, at 9 PM Israel time. News item: As … Continue reading →

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Hamas commits war crimes, supporters complain about Israeli restraint

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Victor Rosenthal

It’s unbelievable (Adam Taylor, Washington Post): For years, the Israeli military has been using cellphone calls and small “warning rockets” — usually sent from drones — to tell people which buildings it is targeting and give them time to get out. It’s a time-tested strategy for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel and Palestinian Arabs, War | 4 Comments

The little war in Israel

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Victor Rosenthal

Five Hamas terrorists attempt to infiltrate Israel from the sea, are intercepted by the IDF Right now, as I write this, Hamas missiles are being fired at Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and, of course, the usual targets in southern Israel. Some … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel and Palestinian Arabs, War | 2 Comments

Limited war with Hamas, again?

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Victor Rosenthal

PM Netanyahu, today: We are ready for two options in the south. If the fire toward our towns in the south ceases, then so shall our actions and the calm in the south since Operation Pillar of Defense [November 2012] … Continue reading →

Posted in Terrorism, US-Israel Relations, War | 2 Comments