After 2 days of calm: Rockets pummel north (Israel)

[Scurrilous]

Heavy barrage starts around 10 a.m.*, with multiple rockets pounding communities across entire north, including Tiberias, Akko, Carmiel, Hatzor, Safed. One house damaged, three people suffer shock

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3285020,00.html

<snip>

"After two days of relative quiet, in which only a handful of mortars hit the north, Hizbullah renewed heavy rocket attacks towards northern Israeli communities Wednesday."

<snip>

"The heaviest barrage hit at around 10:00 a.m. when three rockets landed in Tiberias in open areas, causing three people to suffer shock and igniting a number of blazes. Five rockets hit the city of Akko, one of them damaging a house, but resulting in no injuries."

<snip>

"Army officials estimated Tuesday noon that the rocket attacks will be renewed on Wednesday, and residents of the border area communities have accordingly been advised to remain in shelters and protected areas during the day. Residents of Haifa and the Krayot area are asked to stay in proximity to protected areas.

Throughout the night and early morning hours, artillery blasts were heard across the northern region, as the IDF resumed its aerial activity over Lebanon, in addition to the ground and artillery strikes. On the morning of the 22nd day of the fighting, most of the businesses in the north remain closed and residents await another tense day of clashes and attacks."


*Israeli time: EST + 7.

[ixion]

1. 2 days of calm: 48 hrs... sounds like Hezbollah respected the ceasefire

that's more than you can say for Israel.

These two need to stop the fighting all together. That's the only way anything will ever get solved.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Bush is using the Bible as his guide

He has convinced himself that Jesus wants the carnage to go on.

[VegasWolf]

26. Doncha know Bush is God's personal executive here on earth. nt

[Nihil]

4. Ironic isn't it?

> 2 days of calm: 48 hrs... sounds like Hezbollah respected the ceasefire

The "terrorist" organisation respected the ceasefire whilst the
"innocent" country kept murdering & kidnapping throughout ...

[Scurrilous]

2. Long-range rocket lands near Jenin

Some of long-range rockets fired at Israel Wednesday land across Green Line, in West Bank area – most southern point Hizbullah has managed to hit so far. Police sappers believe rockets made in Syria

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3285259,00.html

<snip>

"Some of the long range rockets that were fired at Israel Wednesday noon landed across the Green Line, in the Judea and Samaria region. The rockets fell near the Palestinian village of Pqua, in the Jenin area."

<snip>

"The rockets' landing site in the Palestinian territories is the most southern point Hizbullah has managed to hit so far. A week and a half ago, an improved Fajr-5 rocket landed in Afula.

A security forces examination revealed that the rockets were fired from over a hundred kilometer range, apparently from the Lebanese town of Tyre. Police sappers are currently inspecting the rockets' parts, and have been able to determine that they are probably old Syrian 302 rockets."

[MrPrax]

5. Hizbollah rockets hit Israel after commando raid

Hizbollah rockets hit Israel after commando raid


BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hizbollah guerrillas fired 150 rockets into Israel and fought 6,000 Israeli troops in south Lebanon on Wednesday after helicopter-borne Israeli commandos attacked Hizbollah targets in the ancient city of Baalbek.

Air strikes in support of the helicopter raid on the ancient city of Baalbek in northeastern Lebanon killed 19 people, including four children.
...
Olmert called for an international combat force to implement a U.N. resolution calling for Hizbollah to be disarmed, saying Israel had already destroyed much of the group's military power.

Soon after he spoke, one of more than 150 rockets launched by Hizbollah on Wednesday landed just inside the West Bank after flying further than any fired at Israel in the past three weeks.
...
At least 750,000 Lebanese, almost a quarter of the population, have been driven from their homes.

At least 643 people in Lebanon and 55 Israelis have been killed in the conflict, now in its fourth week. Lebanon's health minister puts the toll at 762, including unrecovered bodies.

Reuters

A more robust headline...

[plasticsundance]

6. Wait a minute ...

Didn't Israel claim it destroyed 2/3rds of Hezbollah's rockets yesterday? The propaganda these days is to claim victory in war but continue fighting.

[newyorican]

7. Yes...

..and CNN was replete with images of dancing Israeli soldiers celebrating their "dismantling" of Hezbollah capabilities.

Today they are still dancing, but it's to avoid the falling rockets.

There was much postulation yesterday concerning rocket attacks. If they stopped or lessened considerably, it would be viewed as an Israeli military victory.

[High Plains]

8. Israeli citizens can thank their government for the rocket showers

Hezbollah stopped for the 48 hour cease fire period, but Israel escalated.

Israelis, send your letters of appreciation to Mr. Olmert and Mr. Bush.

[Pithlet]

9. kick

[Lerkfish]

10. Hezbollah launches rocket onslaught on Israel

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/02/mideast.main/index.html

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Hezbollah pummeled northern Israel on Wednesday with 190 rockets -- the highest single-day count of the conflict -- killing one civilian and wounding more than a dozen others, according to Israeli police.

reading the whole story is important.

I'm against this action by Hezbollah, also, just for the record.

However, I'm puzzled by what is further down in the story:

The rocket onslaught came as Israel Defense Forces stepped up its offensive against Hezbollah, raiding an eastern Lebanese hospital in Baalbeck overnight that the IDF said was a base for militant fighters.
... "There are no patients there; there is no hospital," Israeli Prime Minister Olmert Ehud Olmert said. "This is the basis of Hezbollah in disguise. It's named a hospital precisely to mislead you and others that will consider it a place no army will intervene with."
... Arabic-language networks reported that Hezbollah denied Ramon's assertions.

seems like something easily verified if it was a hospital or not, Not sure why cnn just reports both conflicting sides without clarification.

[Mass]

11. You mean US newspapers are biased? What a surprise!!

What is amazing is that I have been reading US, French, and Israeli newspapers these last few weeks, and that the US media is way more biased than the moderate leaning Israeli media.

Sad but true reality of what the US media are!

[leveymg]

12. Not surprising. Much of the US MSM is owned by the same people

who have been funding the Israeli Right-wing. They reflect the same agenda by design.

[IndianaGreen]

13. CNN uses "onslaught" to describe Hezbollah rocket attack, yet...

it fails to make the assertion about Israel's widespread bombing of Lebanon.

I share your confusion about Israel's conflicting versions of the raid on Baalbeck.

[bluedog]

14. seems to me Hez waited the 48 hours......Israel did not

[msmcghee]

17. The conflicting versions are the words of . .

. . the spokesmen for opposite sides in the conflict.

What each side says is news - as would be an on site report from a correspondent if they could get one in there.

This would be bad reporting only if a CNN correspondent was able to verify one side's account or the other - and did not do so.

190 misssiles is an onslought, don't you think? They've bee firing only 100 to 140 a day until now. Certainly that's relevant. Israel's bombing has been mederated or stopped for 48 hours.

[Lerkfish]

20. Isreal's bombing stopped for 48 hours?

I was unaware of that.

hmm.

[High Plains]

21. Excuse me, but Hezbollah honored the 48 hour cease fire.

There were almost no rocket attacks Monday or Tuesday. Meanwhile, Israel continued full-speed ahead with its war. Israel may have not bombed a few targets for a couple of days, but its bloody-minded assault on Lebanon only intensified. Now, Israelis reap the benefit. I hope they enjoy their rocket showers.

[Lerkfish]

22. I disagree with Isreal's actions, but I do not wish those showers on

ANYONE. I want them stop, from both sides, now.
but hey, that's just me.

[IndianaGreen]

30. Bush doesn't want a ceasefire. Congress doesn't want a ceasefire.

Blair doesn't want a ceasefire. Olmert doesn't want a ceasefire.

It seems that the only people that want a ceasefire are the Lebanese and all of the peace-loving people in the world, and that includes me.

[Lerkfish]

35. sad, isn't it?

the blood of innocents is not a good enough reason to stop killing innocents.

[msmcghee]

42. Hezbollah agreed to no . .

. . ceasefire. That was a unilateral Israeli decision (it was not a ceasefire anyway) to sort out the Cana situation, which they regretted. For whatever reason, Hezbollah decided to stop sending missiles for a while. Perhaps to restock their launchers - perhaps for PR reasons.

Israel did decide to moderate bombing in certain areas (Cana I assume). They said they would continue ground operations in efforts to take out missile launchers and air support of those operations. Basically they continued tactical air support and halted strategic bombing for a while to sort out what happened at Cana.

You hope Israel enjoys its rocket showers? I find that astounding.

I hope as few people die as possible on both sides and that Israel does whatever is necessary to prevent Hezbollah from starting another confrontation like this that would result in the deaths of many more civilians.

The fact is, many here at DU actually believe that Israelis should leave the region or turn over their nation to Arab rule. You want to go back to 1948 and have Israelis find a different place to live. You will support any Arab efforts that would help that to happen or make life as miserable as possible for Israelis - no matter what the morality of the current situation demands.

If you were being intellectually honest - this is what you would be discussing. Not how many dead babies there are on each side in this confrontation. Because, when it comes down to it - that's the only solution that would satisfy you.

[LivingInTheBubble]

44. have Israelis find a different place to live

you mean like the palestinians, or the lebanese, or whoever else the rogue nation decides to start bombing the crap out of an occupying next?

Israelis would have a MUCH better chance of finding somewhere else to live as they have been paid to emigrate there.

[msmcghee]

46. Thanks for proving my point so quickly.

You should read a little bit about the end of WWII, the League of Nations, the debates that occurred over the question of a homeland for the Jews, the formation of the UN and the first decision of the UN - that the British protectorate of Palestine would become that place in a region of the former Ottoman Empire - the same place that Jews were evicted from during the Diaspora although a few Jews had lived there continuously since before Christ.

It's an intersting chapter in human history. It was not an easy question to settle but it was the best the world could come up with at the time. Now we have to live with it. The question is how to minimze the hate and suffering and death that comes from those who refuse to accept the decision and make the best of it.

I sometimes wonder how so many people who have so little at stake themselves - can sit around and morally judge people whose lives and familes are under attack every day from the next deranged terrorist suicide bomber.

It makes me see that irrationality and a true-believer mentality are certainly not a monopoly of the right.

PS - Just in case you are wondering I am an atheist who was babtised Catholic and I've never been to Israel. I have read a lot about it and studied the reality of both sides of the situation. I have sympathy for the majority of peace-loving Arabs and Jews that are forced to suffer under the extremists.

I also know that it is almost impossible to deal with real extremists without become one yourself.

Please educate yourself with an open mind to fairness for everyone concerned. Aligning with the extremists will only cause more death and suffering.

PS - Yes, you are Living In The Bubble

[High Plains]

48. Don't assume we don't know the history of the region.

It's rather patronizing of you.

[msmcghee]

49. Who is we?

My post was addressed to another person - not you - who said, "Israelis would have a MUCH better chance of finding somewhere else to live as they have been paid to emigrate there."

That indicates to me that this person knows little of the history of this part of the world. I have no idea what you know or don't.

I do suspect that my pov is emotionally disturbing for you probably because of some strong emotional beliefs that you hold. I'd bet those beliefs are not based on reality - but I could be wrong.

Want to discuss those?

[IntiRaymi]

53. Good neighbor policies avoid the sort of things happening now.

The present situation was not caused by a diaspora that happened 1700 years ago, or even 58 years ago. All of those events, the diaspora, the war of 1948, and others, can safely be ascribed to a group of people who have no relation to the current band of thugs running things in Israel.
Israel was created with a moral disability, which is that of being a colonialist imposition on the local inhabitants, who were apparently not consulted in its creation. The zionist lobbying focus at the time was England, just as now it is the USA.
This moral disadvantage could have been removed had Israel not been so completely and utterly incapable of using valid diplomacy to deal with its neighbors.
And yes, Israel can be thought of along the same lines as the 'City on the Hill' mythology of early US settlers.

[JudyM]

45. Thank you. Many here don't seem to see their own lack of a balanced view.

It's frustrating to see the line being blurred between criticism of specific Israeli actions and general disdain of Israel. As if the region would be better without Israel - which is exactly which would happen if Israel stopped trying to defend itself, as imperfectly as it is doing so. Try being surrounded by countries and terrorists who are salivating at any opportunity to cause damage physically or in world view, so that you'll fall. And folks here also seem to be unaware, or unmoved, by the fact that before the creation of Israel the Palestinians and others in the region were in the habit of massacreing Jews living in the area. After Israel's creation it was attacked, even on the holiest (total fasting) day of the year. Why isn't it legitimate to beat the attackers back to create more of a buffer zone? Now it's all painted as if Israel is the Evil Occupier.

I'm not an Israeli apologist, or whatever other flames might get tossed my way. Any instances in which Israeli soldiers are actually intentionally killing innocent civilians, if true, are not excusable. I just don't automatically believe the Arabs' reports of such incidents.

[High Plains]

47. Hezbollah shot only a handful of rockets during the "cease fire"

Israel responded by ramping up its invasion. Now, Israeli civilians reap the rewards of Olmert's war policy.

There were no rockets raining down on Israel from Lebanon before this war started. Or maybe an occasional volley over the years.

I have never advocated the destruction of Israel. I like secular, democratic Israel. It could be (or could have been) a beacon for positive change in the region. But secular, democratic Israel is wedded to fascist, militarist Israel, which I loathe, and which is destroying any chance for the Jews to live in peace in the Holy Land.

But I am started to think that the state of Israel might end up as a blip in the history of the Middle East. Remember, Saladin drove the Crusaders from Jerusalem in 1187, after a few decades of occupation.

[IntiRaymi]

52. Do YOU hope the Lebanese enjoy the bombings?

I find that astounding.
How benevolent for Israel to have 'moderated the bombing.' You israelis have made your reputation beating up on defenseless civilians, and that habit is grossly in display as of late.

[breakaleg]

23. 190 seems like a lot, but how many hit any targets?

what damage was done?

And while we are at it, why are there never any numbers on the rockets Israel sends into Lebanon.

Quoting the number sent into Israel is just ridiculous. It has no basis of comparison and is only meant to make Hezbollah seem like the aggressor. Considering the actual damage and death successfully done in Lebanon, those numbers mean nothing.

[Igel]

28. We get numbers of sorties and targets,

but not the number of artillery shells.

It's rather like not getting a bullet count.

We'll have to disagree over the meaning of 'aggressor'. I went up to this guy that was annoying me in my dorm--he was reading out loud, it was finals, I was cranky and far too stressed--and instead of asking him to be quiet, I punched him, only to have him mop up the floor with me. Nice to know *he* was the aggressor. (A 148 lb, 5' 10" out of shape nerd should *not* throw the first punch to a 210 lb 6' 3" weight-lifting boxer. But clearly, he was the aggressor. He was bigger. He threw more punches. I bled, he didn't. Wish I'd known I had the moral upper ground.)

[msmcghee]

39. I can see why you sympathise . .

. . with Hezbollah. B-)

[uppityperson]

36. Israel did not do 48 hour moderated bombing.

It lasted only a couple hours, then up and at it again. NO 48 hour no-firing. Didn't happen. Words only. sigh.

[Ms. Clio]

40. "Israel's bombing has been mederated (sic) or stopped for 48 hours"

That's simply not true:

Israel bombs southern Lebanon just hours after promising halt
By Associated Press
Monday, July 31, 2006 - Updated: 03:21 PM EST

JERUSALEM - Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Monday, hours after agreeing to temporarily halt raids while investigating a bombing that killed nearly 60 Lebanese civilians, mostly women and children seeking shelter.

http://news.bostonherald.com/international/view.bg?articleid=150725

The Daily Star also says of the Israeli air cease fire,

' Six air raids were carried out along the banks of the Litani, three more in the Bekaa region to the east and an additional six strikes on villages near Tyre. A mother and her two daughters were killed in a separate air strike that destroyed their home in the mountain village of Louaize. Three other civilians were wounded in that attack. At least 828 Lebanese, almost all of them civilians, have been killed and 3,200 wounded over the last three weeks, the Higher Relief Committee said on Tuesday. Fifty-one Israelis have also been killed, most of them soldiers. '

[MrPrax]

15. The Baalbeck 'raid' is curious...

"...Hezbollah claimed to have spread rumours about the presence of an important Hezbollah figure inside the hospital, which had been empty since the start of the Israeli offensive.

Unconfirmed reports said the group also sent several decoys into the hospital, including the personal car of senior Hezbollah official Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek. Police present in the area said the Israelis took five Lebanese civilians with them. The police gave the names of the five captured civilians as Hassan deeb Nasrallah, Bilal Hassan Nasrallah, Ahmad Auta, Hassan Burji and Hussein Shokr. Asked if they were snatched from inside the hospital the police said, 'We have no information yet.'

...
Israeli voice messages received on Lebanese mobiles said, 'The courageous operation was meant to save our soldiers.' Lebanese security sources told dpa during the night that the aim of the Israeli offensive was to release the two captured soldiers being held by Hezbollah who they believed were inside the targeted hospital. 'Do they think we are that stupid to keep their soldiers here?' the Hezbollah official laughed.

M&C

It's a hospital and some reports eariler to the action suggest Israeli commandoes got trapped there under heavy fire -- regardless of what Olmert, the next day at a press conference, wants to spin while he is trying to explain the 200 Hez rockets fired into Israel after three weeks of heavy bombing.

[alcibiades_mystery]

27. I'm guessing a mole in the Hezbollah organization is getting his

head blown off right about now, and Israel's lost a source of information?

[MrPrax]

41. Mole or double agent?

Might explain why Israel is having so many problems...and keeps announcing new deadlines as to how long the whole operation is going to take... ;-)

[muriel_volestrangler]

51. There's the coincidence of the names of the captives

"Hassan Nasrallah" is the Sheikh who heads Hizbollah. British TV says he is no relation to those who were kidnapped. Is it possible that the name got Israeli intelligence or its informers confused, and they either thought they'd find the leader himself there, or at least his family? Olmert referred to the captives as "very tasty fish".

[kurth]

16. Terrorist missiles causing massive casualties, billions of damage

is what they're trying to say.

[rayofreason]

18. The Baalbeck raid...

...Here is how Haaretz describes it-

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/745276.html

[bemildred]

24. The whole incident will now be surrounded by a haze of bullshit.

From which one can infer that it didn't go particularly well, but not much else. Olmert is starting to remind me of Baghdad Bob, although he has a good deal more force at his disposal.

[rayofreason]

29. Actually...

...it is Hizbullah that is really sounding like Baghdad Bob.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/745332.html

[bemildred]

32. Those seem to be "unnamed sources" from what I can tell.

So I take them with a grain of salt. I have tentatively considered the idea that there is a propaganda campaign under way to discredit Hizbullah's statements, based on these anonymous sources and websites, but its hard to be sure. OTOH it would be the obvious thing to do, a sort of standard part of the information war. But it's not clear yet.

Nasrallah has gotten a bit less reserved too, it's true. Olmert however, has been making wild statements and changing his story from one day to the next, and generally he is quoted. He looks like a desperate politician to me, whereas Nasrallah looks like a cat licking cream.

The Baalbek raid is a particularly intesting example, because of the barrage of bullshit from both sides. I am waiting to see if we ever get any facts out of it.

[rayofreason]

33. I also look forward...

..to the facts of the Baalbeck raid, as well as many other things that are now so unknowable, but which will, with time, become clear.

[bemildred]

34. It would not seem all that difficult, really.

Some pictures, some witnesses, but it seems to be taking time to get these things out. Even the anti-zionist nut sites have been short of any facts, just great wads of hearsay and speculation.

[MrPrax]

43. LOL

unknowable...but you seem pretty sure to KNOW though...

Was the initial so-called abduction of the two soldiers kidnapped in Lebanon knowable? That was the basis for Israel's attack on Lebanon...if it ain't knowable...then why did Israel attack?

But we know you really mean such things as whether or not Israel killed all those kids on a beach on Gaza or all those kids killed in Qana (what is it with the different spellings of Qana - Kana - Cana?) or whether Israel deliberately hit the UN post? Those are unknowable...

:rofl:

[rayofreason]

50. Knowable.

In war there is always dispute as to exact happenings in many circumstances, as well as an exact resolution of others. For example, Hizbullah claims that the Israelis took losses in the Baalbeck raid, whereas the Israelis claim no losses. Israel claims it captured Hizbullah fighters, Hizbullah says no. The difference between the two accounts will be resolved, I am certain, with exactitude. The same with the UN post, now that there is an email from one of the (Canadian) UN soldiers killed there describing how Hizbullah was using the site as a firing position, we are a lot closer to knowing the facts of the situation.

Regarding what you refer to in an incredulous tone as the "so-called abduction of the two soldiers", it would seem that you skepticisim is poorly placed given the Hizbullah admitted the fact that they launched a cross-border raid. I might have expected pro-Hizbullah/anti-Israeli sentiments to be expressed by uncritical support for Hizbullah claims, but I am surprised by your offering of ludicrous spin that not even Hizbullah has yet laid claim to. Perhaps in coming days they will sing your tune and deny that they kidnapped the soldiers, deny that they claimed that they kidnapped the soldiers, and instead claim that all of this was an unprovoked Israeli attack, and that the two soldiers were in fact kidnapped by Israel itself. In that case you can truly claim bragging rights for having supported the Hizbullah position even before Hizbullah.

Hizbullah's actions have laid the rest the "land for peace" position. Israel did not occupy Lebanese territory after its withdrawl, under ther terms of which the UN was to keep Hizbullah from rearming (hah!). Nothing can satisfy Hizbullah in the end except for the total destruction of Israel. The same with Hamas. When they speak of "the occupation" they speak not only of the West Bank (not Gaza any more!) but also of israel proper. Is there any doubt that if either Hizbullah of Hamas had the ablity to kill every Jew in Tel Aviv that they would refrain from doing so?

[xultar]

19. apparently this war is working! Great JOB Israel!

[idgiehkt]

31. thanks

so true. It really is 1984

[bemildred]

25. Olmert steps on his tongue again:

Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, said today that Israel's offensive in Lebanon had "entirely destroyed" the infrastructure of Hizbollah, citing the reduced number of rockets hitting Israel.

http://www.sabcnews.com/world/the_middle_east/0,2172,132373,00.html

[uppityperson]

37. Quit poking the cat, they don't need any more excuses

my message to Hezzbullah.

[newyorican]

38. While the cat is scratching your eyes out?

Then again, the cat will stop scratching when you stop poking. Maybe. After a few scratches for good measure. Followed by some pokes. Followed by...

Any theory that fits in a nutshell, probably belongs in one. But the above seems to sum up the dynamic we see today.