Operation Protective Edge has moved into its third day with an uneasy status-quo of Israeli air-raids on Gaza and incessant Hamas rocket barrages on Israel. 76 Palestinians have been killed according to reports from the Gaza strip while Israel has yet to suffer its first serious casualties. Rocket fire on the south remains intensive while five rockets fired at Greater Tel Aviv at 8 am this morning were intercepted by Iron Dome.
The worst rocket attack was on the Kiryat Malachi region with four rockets intercepted by Iron Dome but a missile hit a cowshed causing carnage among the cattle. During one alert a driver panicked on the Kiryat Malachi Ashkelon highway and hit a pylon causing himself and two passengers medium to light injuries.
IDF troops remain poised on the edge of the Gaza strip awaiting an order for the ground offensive to commence, which Israel seems reluctant to launch.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been speaking with world leaders including UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs John Kerry and asserting Israel's right to defend itself against incessant rocket attacks and terrorist infiltrations which no country can be expected to suffer without responding.
Netanyahu said, "Hamas commits a double war crime when it deliberately attempts to strike at Israeli citizens and uses Gaza's civil population as a human shield. This makes Hamas responsible for accidental strikes against civilians in Gaza. Hamas is recognized worldwide as a terrorist organization and the international community must condemn the continual fire by Hamas and other terror organizations on Israeli cities."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 10, 2014
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