Palestinians and their friends continue to claim that Israel is ‘strangling’ the Gaza strip in an act of collective punishment, and that Israeli and international sanctions are causing widespread hunger and hardship.
But look at what the IDF found in just 36 hours:
IDF forces have uncovered seven smuggling tunnels in the Gaza Strip within 36 hours.
Military officials said Thursday that the tunnels, which were unearthed near the village of Dahaniya in the southern Strip, were used by terror organizations to smuggle weapons from Egypt into Gaza.
The tunnels were found about 1.5 kilometers from the border fence. According to IDF sources, they were all active and had been used by terror groups to smuggle weapons until recently.
A senior officer said several months ago that the smuggling attempts in the southern Gaza Strip have become “import-like, both in terms of their extent and legitimization.” — YNet [my emphasis]
Someone is paying for the weapons and explosives (at premium smuggler’s prices), someone is paying for the labor and materials to dig the tunnels and manufacture the rockets, and someone is paying the terrorists who launch the rockets.
The priorities of Hamas are clear: fight Israel regardless of the cost to Gaza residents.
We also should keep in mind that all of these tunnels go somewhere — Egypt. Surely the Egyptian authorities, whose nation is at ‘peace’ with Israel, must notice some of the activity.
Meanwhile, it is not incorrect to say that a state of war exists between Israel and Hamas:
Earlier Thursday, nine Kassam rockets were launched into the western Negev, including four that struck Sderot. In response, the IDF bombed two Kassam launchers in northern Gaza…
Also Thursday, the IDF shot and killed five terrorists who were spotted planting bombs along the Gaza security fence. — Jerusalem Post