Israeli Attack on Gaza Imminent
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Overnight Sunday, a rocket allegedly fired from Gaza struck a home in central Israel, reportedly injuring seven occupants, their wounds described as light to moderate, no one killed.
The incident followed the latest Great March of Return demonstration last Friday, killing three Gazans, wounding around 200 others, most from live fire against unarmed/nonviolent civilians threatening no one – what’s gone on weekly for the past year, killing over 250, wounding over 26,000 others, many seriously.
It’s unknown who fired the overnight rocket. Hamas denied responsibility. It followed preemptively fired Israeli missiles at the Strip Sunday afternoon.
The action continued the Netanyahu regime’s undeclared war on two million Gazans, along with suffocating them under illegal, politicized blockade since mid-2007, an act of war under international law.
Following a rocket from Gaza landing harmlessly on Israeli territory two weeks ago, Israeli warplanes terror-bombed scores of sites in the Strip – similar aggression virtually certain to follow the latest incident.
Reportedly, Israeli drones and attack helicopters have been overflying Gaza all night into Monday morning.
Thousands of reservists were notified they may be called up. Two brigades of combat troops were deployed along Gaza’s border. Israeli media said they include Air Defense Command, Intelligence Corps, and Home Front Command forces.
The Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings were closed, Israel preparing for what may be a large-scale attack on the Strip, perhaps a ground incursion along with extensive terror-bombing.
In Washington to meet with Trump and other regime officials, along with a scheduled Tuesday AIPAC conference address, Netanyahu cut short his visit. He’s returning to Israel Monday after meeting with Trump at the White House, saying:
“A few minutes ago, I finished a briefing and consultation with the (IDF) chief of staff, the head of the Shin Bet, and the national security adviser,” adding:
“This was a criminal attack on Israel (sic) and we will respond forcefully,” heading home “to oversee (the) response firsthand” – ignoring his regime’s ruthlessness against Gazans and other Palestinians, murdering and brutalizing them unaccountably.
During his Monday meeting with Trump, DLT reportedly will sign an executive order, illegally recognizing Israeli control over Syria’s Golan, flagrantly violating international law.
On Monday, Islamic Jihad warned the “Zionist enemy against attacking the Strip," adding they’ll “respond with force” to any attack.
Like many times before, Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system failed to intercept the incoming rocket.
Israeli media said IDF tanks shelled the Strip on Sunday after terror-bombing occurred the previous day.
A large-scale IDF assault on Gaza could be launched at any time, perhaps more intense than any attacks since summer 2014 Israeli aggression on the Strip.
Ahead of April 9 elections, Netanyahu clearly wants to show muscle-flexing against defenseless Gazans, hoping large-scale terror-bombing will serve him politically.
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