Collateral Damage? 1 in 5 Palestinian Rockets Fired at Israel Land in Gaza, Israeli Officer Says
The Israel-Palestine conflict has resulted in collateral damage in both Israel and Gaza, with the military capabilities of Hamas becoming increasingly questionable.
An Israeli military officer told The Associated Press that out of the 700 rockets fired by Hamas targeting Israel on Wednesday night, about one-fifth of them wound up in Gaza.
For the hundreds of other rockets, the Israeli military’s Iron Dome system has had a 90 percent success rate intercepting them before they have a chance to reach the ground, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Hamas originally began firing rockets into Israel amidst fighting in East Jerusalem regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque earlier this month after Israeli police got involved in the clashes.
Israel and Hamas are now constantly firing rockets back and forth at one another, resulting in widespread calls for a ceasefire.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that his country is “determined to continue this operation until its aim is met”, according to the AP.
Hamas’s strategy seems to be drastically different, at least in the sense of public messaging, than that of the Israel Defense Forces.
The Jewish State’s military has repeatedly said that it is only aiming for specifics targets and is trying to avoid civilians, at least in theory.
“The underground facility collapsed, causing the civilian houses’ foundations above them to collapse as well, leading to unintended casualties,” the spokesperson’s office for the IDF said, according to Business Insider, about 42 civilian casualties on Sunday.
Look closely: This photo was taken right after Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Israel from a residential area in Gaza. Look what’s near the launch site: schools, a UN building, a health center, mosques, and dozens of apartment buildings.
Hamas puts everyone in danger. pic.twitter.com/dVPpUUJVy3
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 19, 2021
The conflict in the region has even stirred up heated debate within the United States, as Israel receives billions in foreign aid from the federal government, and President Joe Biden’s administration recently also secured funding for Palestine in the amount of over $200 million.
Several left-wing politicians have called on Congress and Biden to re-examine the nation’s relationship with Israel, while many Republicans and moderate Democrats have taken the opposite stance.
“The devastation in Gaza is unconscionable. We must urge an immediate ceasefire. The killing of Palestinians and Israelis must end. We must also take a hard look at nearly $4 billion a year in military aid to Israel. It is illegal for U.S. aid to support human rights violations,” independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted Sunday.
The devastation in Gaza is unconscionable. We must urge an immediate ceasefire. The killing of Palestinians and Israelis must end. We must also take a hard look at nearly $4 billion a year in military aid to Israel. It is illegal for U.S. aid to support human rights violations.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 16, 2021
Senate Republicans even introduced a resolution to fully back Israel in the ongoing conflict Wednesday.
A group of Senate Republicans will ask for unanimous consent today for a resolution backing Israel in its fight against Hamas in Gaza.
Bernie Sanders will object and offer this one instead — pic.twitter.com/aqgnp6pUZT
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) May 19, 2021
Unfortunately, the fighting in the Middle East seems to have no end in sight. And while calls for de-escalation by American leaders are fine in theory, they aren’t doing much practical good.
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