2005-2009: Hamas sees Israel’s evacuation in 2005 as a sign of weakness and unleashes thousands of Qassam Rockets and Grad Missiles against population centers in southern Israel. Finally, in late 2008, after Israel had endured 3,000 rockets just that year, she invades Gaza in Operation Cast Lead. After 22 days, Israel leaves Gaza, feeling that it had greatly neutralized Hamas’ ability to attack Israel.
2012: After increases in rocket attacks, Israel steps up attacks and kills three Hamas operatives, including the top military commander, who was responsible for the capture and imprisonment of Gilad Shalit.
Hamas declares that Israel has “opened the gates of hell,” and unleashes 275 rockets against Israel today, including three that reach the Tel Aviv area, showing that they now have the capability of killing Israelis in its largest population center—crossing all red lines.
Israel calls up reserves and seeks to neutralize threat. Morsi of Egypt brokers ceasefire.
Present Day: After three Israeli teens are murdered by Hamas activists, an Arab boy is killed by Jews. Hamas takes advantage of the unrest and unleashes 1,000 rockets against Israel in one week. Israel calls up 40,000 reservists. One Israeli death has resulted from direct rocket fire. The Iron Dome has a 90 percent success rate in taking down rockets. As of Thursday, 193 Palestinians are dead, many who were human shields at the request (insistence) of Hamas. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas calls it genocide, but the world is not buying it. Hamas unleashed this war to increase its credibility in the Arab world. However, they may have miscalculated. Even the Palestinian United Nations representative admits that Israel is conducting this war in a humane ways while Hamas is commenting crimes against humanity.
Ron Cantor is the director of Messiah’s Mandate International in Israel, a Messianic ministry dedicated to taking the message of Jesus from Israel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Cantor also travels internationally teaching on the Jewish roots of the New Testament. He serves on the pastoral team of Tiferet Yeshua, a Hebrew-speaking congregation in Tel Aviv. His newest book is Identity Theft. Follow him at @RonSCantor on Twitter.
For the original article, visit messiahsmandate.org.
