It was necessary to act before

June 6th 2005: The Israeli Government decides to withdraw from the Gaza-Strip. The proposal comes by Ariel Sharon, at that time Prime Minister. It should have been a pragmatic step to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After having burned the production infrastructures (greenhouses worth several million $ ) left intact by the Israelis farmers, the Palestinian people thought well to express their desire of peace promoting Hamas victory in the Elections of 2006. The terrorist organization will ensure the seizure of power in the Gaza-Strip after furious clashes with the rival Fatah. At the same time Hamas aims to monopolize the common ideal/slogan of all terrorist organizations operating in the area: "Death to Israel". About 1,000 rockets are launched at Israel in the same year and on 25 June 2006 a terrorist commando kidnaps the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, in a cross border raid. In the meantime Hamas (or other orgs members) terrorists become "militant" and the gaza Hamas terror squads become "Hamas´ police". The World begins to believe that it is necessary to negotiate with Hamas and most of the Medias are the opinion that Israel should grants any request of the "main palestinian militian party". Suddenly, in 2007 from the Gaza-Strip (yes, just from there) comes a news: Hamas is heavily militarizing. Israel and Egypt decide to impose a blockade and prevent the weapons to be delivered into the area. End 2007 are reported about 1,700 terrorist attacks (rockets and mortar Shells) against Israel: Sderot, the most hurt city by he terrorist attacks is going to become a ghost-town. The stress which is subjected the population of the areas surrounding Gaza is immense. People doesn´t have time enough -in average 15 seconds- to income when the Qassam rockets are fired. Since 2001 over Israel are raining mortar shells and rockets. Suicide terrorist attacks have been prevented and hampered by the Security-Fence and the families are feeling safe again to go to a restaurant by bus...In 2008 the "Government of Gaza" claims that the food is over, there is no electricity and that the World has to act against Israel to lift the blockade. Strange press-conferences are taking place in Gaza Government offices. Some intrepid and honest journalists admit that the electricity lacked only in the buildings where the conferences were held, while outside everything was illuminated. Pictures illustrating well furnished gaza shops are beginning to be published, but with great caution. Once a friend told me: " It´s unbelievable! they are bullshitting the world but at the same time they are inspiring great sympathy!".
The Israeli Cabinet decide in 2008 to instruct the Rafael Co. to design an Iron Dome anti-rocket system that is probably going to be operational not before 2011. The tension is at the same level as the stress: very high.There are 2 issues Israel is concentrated to: Gilad Shalit and the weapons smuggling into Gaza-Strip. Hamas delivers news about the conditions it would free the young guy held captive since 2006 and takes into consideration a lull in the fighting proposed by Egypt. It doesn´t mean to be a truce, it won´t be a total suspension of every military/terrorist activity, including weapons smuggling and it can be violated at anytime, as already happened in the past. Egyptian Intelligence get heavily involved into the negotiations. Hamas demands the Gaza crossing opening on its terms, the immediate suspension of any Israeli-Security preventive operation in the West-Bank and begins to draw up a list of prison inmates to be freed in exchange for Gilad Shalit. The lull is to be considered by Hamas as a golden opportunity to accelerate its military buildup. The subsoil between Gaza-Strip and Egypt is like an "Emmenthal Cheese": the construction of tunnels proceeds quickly and some people in Gaza argues that it´s easier to buy a weapon than a coke.
The lull arrangement goes into effect on the morning of 19 June and it will bring initially a relative quite to the Western Negev population, at which are fired "only" 329 rockets and mortar shells*.On 17 July 2008, the bodies of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser are returned to Israel, after an Israel-Hizb´allah prisoner swap. The two reservists were kidnapped in Israel by an Hizb´allah terrorist commando on 12 July 2006, circa two and half week after G. Shalit abduction. On 4 November 2004 the IDF foils an attempt by Hamas to kidnap Israeli soldiers along the Gaza border fence: seven terrorists are killed and Hamas, among with other terrorist organizations, attacks Israel with a massive barrage of rockets. Some of the attacks are carried out with weapons not previously used, such as 122mm Standard Grad and 120 mm mortar shells. Hamas exploited the time of the lull to improve its military buildup using every possible way (even the humanitarian goods shipments through the crossings) to smuggle big quantities of arms into the Gaza Strip.On 17 december the newspaper AlQuds-AlArabi published a statement of a spokesman of various terrorist organizations, indicting that a "joint operation room" among all "resistance forces" has been established, adding that the lull will officially end on 19 December 2008. On 24 December at least 60 rockets and mortar shells are fired at Ashqelon, Netivot, Sderot and several other urban areas, while Hamas spokemen threaten to wide the range of the attacks and to initiate suicide bombing terrorist missions*. Since 2001 the Western-Negev got hit by more than 10,000 rockets and mortar shells and since 2006 one of the most dangerous and cruel terrorist organizations existing in the World is bullshitting the World, spreading slogan such as: "dead to a free and democratic Country" and despite that it´s enjoying international recognitions. December 27th 2008: Israel start of the operation "Cast Lead". Probably 2 years too late.
*Source: CSS - http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/hamas_e020.pdf
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