Tackling the tensions between Palestinian resistance and Israeli occupation, an Israeli analyst sees that Tel Aviv did not make an attempt to intercept Palestinian rocket launched at Tel Aviv on Monday.
In an article entitled “Israel Launches Gaza Campaign That May Last Several Days,” Amos Harel said: “Like last time, there was no attempt to intercept the rocket,” referring to an incident ten days ago, when a rocket was also fired at Tel Aviv from Gaza.
“The army does not reveal information about the deployment of the Iron Dome, but the two incidents could point to two problems. One is a gap in intelligence and analysis of the Palestinian organizations’ intentions. The other is a gap in Iron Dome deployment, whether due to operational mistakes or a shortage of batteries,” Harel, who is a media expert on military and defense issues wrote.
He noted that the first wave of Israeli air strikes which started Monday focused on Hamas military targets and a few government ministries.
“It was clear that the attacks, which continued into the night, were very selective. In a few cases the “knock on the roof” procedure was used to warn those inside the buildings to evacuate before they were bombed. What happens next is very much dependent on how Hamas reacts and the success of Egypt’s mediation efforts, which had already begun Monday.”
Discussing hypotheses about the rocket fire on Monday morning, the Israeli expert said “it could have been Hamas’ way of disrupting Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. Or it might have been a reaction to an incident at Ketziot Prison, where 12 Hamas prisoners were wounded after two prison guards were stabbed.”
Meanwhile, he didn’t rule out that the rocket fire could be related to the demonstrations against Hamas over economic situation in Gaza.
However, he said that the rocket launch cannot be dissociated from the yearlong demonstrations along the Gaza border and developments on other fronts, from Israeli prisons to the latest attacks in West Bank.
“In the background, Hamas is continuing its preparations for this coming Friday, on which the anniversary of the March of Return demonstrations along the Gaza border fence is being marked,” Harel noted.
“The military escalation will continue to haunt the election campaign. If it intensifies, the political discourse will focus on it, at the expense of the latest scandals, from (Benny) Gantz’s hacked phone to the conduct of (Benjamin) Netanyahu and his associates in the submarines affair,” the Israeli expert concluded.
Source: Haaretz
