How Hamas’ rocket barrage affects Israeli defense policy
The latest Egypt-mediated cease-fire that follows the most recent flare-up of hostilities between Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza and Israel has sparked celebrations in the streets of the Gaza Strip and anger in Israel.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. Gen. Kamil Abu Rukun, warned Palestinians in the Gaza Strip of harsh retaliation and zero tolerance in response to any hostilities against Israel during Palestinian protests set for Friday Nov. 16 on the eastern border. Abu Rukun addressed Palestinians in an Arabic-language video on his Facebook page on Nov. 15.
On Nov. 16, thousands of Palestinian protesters headed to the eastern border of the Gaza Strip as part of the marches of return protests that started March 30 and are aimed at breaking the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza since 2007. Forty protesters sustained injuries by Israeli army fire; no casualties were reported.
The latest protest follows the most violent military confrontation on Nov. 11-13 between Palestinian resistance factions in the Gaza Strip and Israel since the 2014 war. An Egyptian-brokered cease-fire on the evening of Nov. 13 set off celebrations in Gaza. Meanwhile, anger prevailed in the Israeli towns of Sderot and Ashkelon near the Israel-Gaza border. On Nov. 15, more than 2,000 Israelis protested in Tel Aviv against the agreement, saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “weak against Hamas.”
In a statement published Nov. 14, the website of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades said that in the 40-hour confrontation “the resistance fired about 400 rockets and mortar shells” toward Israel.
