Friday, August 05, 2011

5-Aug-11: Anti-missile defence batteries deployed in Ashkelon

The Hebrew caption from this morning's front page reads:
Iron Dome is deployed again in Ashkelon
The escalating rocket attacks on southern Israel, emanating from the terrorist vipers' nest of Gaza, has prompted the authorities here this morning to announce the immediate deployment of batteries of the Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system outside the southern city of Ashkelon. Thirty Gazan rockets, every single one of them constructed, delivered, aimed and intended to kill civilian Israelis, have been fired into Israel since the beginning of July.

The Jerusalem Post's military correspondent writes that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) currently has two operational Iron Dome batteries and is expected to receive a third by the end of 2011.

Meanwhile the Air Force air-bombed five targets in the Gaza Strip following the incoming Gazan rockets of the last few days. Four tunnels were struck and destroyed, along with what the IDF called a "terror activity base" in the central Gaza Strip. The IDF says the precision strikes were identified as hitting their targets. Palestinian sources say several buildings are on fire in Khan Yunis following the strike with no reports of injuries.

This leaves us wondering, yet again, about the moral logic of Israel striking at terrorist infrastructure only after absorbing round after round of terrorist attacks, mainly indiscriminate rocket firings in the general direction of Israeli towns and communities. Defeating terrorism needs a full-court press rather than the rules of ping-pong.

No comments: