Chris At Home

• The incursion is on its second day and the attack is widening. Op-For discusses the risk of war:
  

  -Iran/Lebanese Hezbollah: These guys could open up a new front with Israel, and are well supplied and well armed.
  -Egypt: Their forces are staged near the border, ostensibly for “border enforcement, which translates into keeping the Palestinians in Gaza. During conflicts, large force concentrations of opposing powers parked near each other tend to make situations less stable.
  -Syria: Assad is giving material support to Hamas, and got his house buzzed this morning by Israeli fighters. Syria's army is very degraded, with its Republican Guard probably being the only effective combat unit in the country. However their artillery assets, all aimed at Israel, are armed with the Arab world's largest chemical weapons stock.
  -Gaza itself: We'll soon see how much of a fight Hamas can muster. Unfortunately for them, Israel is probably the only other army in the world next to us that can pull off a Fallujah type operation and make it successful. BUT if Al-Aqsa makes good on its dubious WMD threat, or something goes wrong with the op, an Intifada could be launched, triggering a regional crisis.

  
  
• The kidnapped Israeli teenager is confirmed dead, executed soon after being taken. The soldier has not been found, Hamas still wants a prisoner swap which Israel has already nixed.
  
  
• The Palestinians claim to have fired a rocket containing chemical weapons into Israel. Israel is investigating. This is serious news: use of WMDs by terrorists. And where did the WMDs come from? Saddam's stockpiles in Syria? Seedubya thinks this might be right.
  
  
• The original Hamas attackers were trained by Iran.
  
  
• 4 Israeli jets buzzed the Syrian Presidents residence while he was inside, reminding his of his vulnerability. Assad is currently protecting the man who organized the original checkpoint attack and kidnapping, Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal.
  
  
• 60 Hamas leaders have been arrested during the incursion, including parliament members. Good on ya, guys. Hamas bitches that the leaders were from the political wing, not the military wing, as though there is any difference.
  

  Army Radio revealed that they were being brought to a military detention campe, and would soon be brought before a judge on charges of involvement in a terror organization.

  
  
• CAIR claims war crimes committed in the attack. This should be in the news of the obvious; Israelis attack, claim war crimes. Terrorist jailed, claim torture. Terrorist attack occurs, scream Islamophobia.
  
  
• Some whine that the attack might not be legal because it is not proportional to the provocation. Proportionality theory enforces tit-for-tat behavior that can go on forever. One major attack just might end the provocations for good. Anyone think Hamas will kidnap another soldier after this attack ends?
  
  
• I wonder if Fatah is working with Israel on this to end the Hamas government. Fatah and Hamas have been shooting and bombing each other for several months. Teaming up with Israel would solve all of Fatah's problems. Unlikely, but possible.
  

When Hamas was only an opposition movement, its provocative behavior was a major impediment to peace. As a governing party, it is far worse.

Contrary to the hopes of many outsiders, five months in government has failed to educate Hamas to the reality of the world the Palestinians live in. Hamas has merely assumed the political privileges of power without accepting the minimal responsibilities that go with it.

If things go on like this, Palestinians can look forward to endless rounds of reckless Hamas provocations and inexorable Israeli responses. That is why things must not be allowed to go on like this. It is not just Israel that needs to be delivering that message to Hamas.

A senior Fatah member said on Thursday that although Israel should be condemned for its incursion into the Gaza Strip and the arrest of senior Hamas officials, it was the Hamas who brought these actions upon the Palestinian people.

He blamed Hamas' uncompromising, extremist approach - especially that of Hamas leader in Damascus Khaled Mashaal - turned the whole world against the Palestinians.