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May. 13, 2021 8:57 PM
Hamas demonstration of its abilities in recent days, culminating in the massive rocket barrages into central Israel, forced the military to bolster its efforts in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Alongside the preparations for the next phase, the army has been striving to cast a positive light on everything that has happened so far.
The government and military have been wildly praising their own accomplishments, particularly the assassination of leaders of Hamas military wing. The hope is to somehow compete with the enemy s accomplishments. But this seems a hard sell – Israelis aren t fully convinced, one of the reasons that the flare-up might continue.
Israel’s military continues airstrikes on Gaza as it prepares for an “indefinite” operation
On Tuesday, Israel launched a massive aerial bombardment of 140 airstrikes on Gaza, killing a further two Palestinians.
This brings the death toll to 33 , including nine children and one woman. At least 122 people have been injured, 41 of them children. More than 12 percent of all injuries were “serious,” according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
One of Israel’s targets, a 13-storey residential tower in Gaza City that houses an office used by the political leadership of Hamas collapsed.
A medic treats a wounded boy following an explosion in the town of Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, on Monday, May 10, 2021, during a conflict between Hamas and Israel. (AP Photo/Mohammed Ali)
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Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett speaks during a faction meeting at the Knesset, on May 3, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid chief Yair Lapid both expressed support Wednesday for a forceful response by the Israeli government to Gaza terrorists and Arab mobs in Lod, even as the pair moved on with their efforts to form a coalition that would replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
The comments came after more than 1,000 rockets were fired from the Strip at Israeli cities and communities in under two days and anti-tank missiles were fired at Israeli vehicles, killing a total of six people. Israel has retaliated with dozens of airstrikes. Palestinians have reported 35 deaths, with Israel saying most are members of terror groups or victims of errant Hamas rocket fire.
Three Jewish men were arrested Tuesday over the fatal shooting of an Arab man during clashes Monday night. They were being questioned on suspicion of murder, while maintaining that the shots were fired in self-defense.
But an initial investigation indicated that the shots were fired toward a man standing dozens of meters away, and a court on Wednesday extended their remand by three days, with Judge Tal Aner saying the self-defense claim “doesn’t match the objective findings.”
Public Security Minister Amir Ohana at the annual Jerusalem Conference of the ‘Besheva’ group in Jerusalem, March 15, 2021 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
On Wednesday, Public Security Minister Amir Ohana tweeted that the shooter’s arrest was “terrible.” Ohana said that had the matter been under his authority, he would order the suspect released immediately and recommended that police do so, because “civilians carrying weapons are helpful to authorities in immediately neutralizing threats or danger
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Earlier on Wednesday, President Reuven Rivlin harshly condemned Tuesday s pogrom and riots by an Arab mob, and was critical of what he called the silence of Arab leaders in Israel on the events.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incidents are reminiscent of sights from our people s past, and we cannot accept that. During a visit in the northern city of Acre, where businesses were torched the night before, he vowed to stop anarchy and bring back sovereignty to Israel s cities with an iron fist if necessary.
Israel declared on Tuesday night a state of emergency in Lod, a mixed Arab-Jewish city that saw a series of serious incidents throughout the day, in a bid to quell the violence that wounded 12, including one in serious condition.