Israel prepares for war as rockets rain down

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
11/16/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Israel may be preparing to invade Gaza.

Israel is calling up reserve troops as Hamas continues firing rockets out of Gaza and into Israeli cities. The prospect of a full-scale war with Hamas, and possibly Egypt, looms.

An Israeli missile strikes a target in Gaza.

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TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (Catholic Online) - Israel has activated at least some 16,000 reserve troops which have been seen in armored personnel carriers and busses headed south toward the Gaza strip. In both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, air raid sirens have called residents into underground shelters.

Overhead, an unrelenting barrage of rockets fired by Hamas rains down with indiscriminate fury. So far, the missiles have killed no Israelis. Most rockets have either missed populated areas altogether or have been intercepted by the military.

Hamas claims they are retaliating for the assassination of their defense minister, as well as the continual strikes by the Israeli Air Force against some 450 targets in Gaza. Those strikes have killed several people including a pregnant woman.

An uneasy truce was declared for a few hours of Wednesday as Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil made a short visit to the region. Kandil offered Egyptian support to the Palestinians saying, "Palestine is the heart of the Arab and Muslim world and the body is not healthy while the heart is sick."

Violence resumed during the Prime Minister's visit as the two sides accused the other of breaking the truce.

So far, both sides have waged an intense mutual bombardment, however Israel may be preparing a ground offensive. Navy ships are just offshore from the Gaza strip and troops are massed along the region's borders. It is unclear if the operation dubbed, "Pillar of Defense" by the Israelis, will include an invasion, or if it is merely designed to increase the pressure on Hamas.

Hamas is believed to have an estimated 12,000 missiles at its disposal including some advanced models of Libyan and Iranian origin. Hamas may deploy these missiles at any moment.

Despite the apparent coming of war, Prime Minister Netanyahu has made it known that he prefers peace, especially with Egypt.

Despite their stated support for the Palestinians, it is unlikely the Egyptians can mount much of an attack on Israel either. Not only does their army lack technical capabilities, but the military remains in disarray after the shakeups of the past year-and-a-half.

Israel may call up to another 14,000 reservists in the days to come, should the situation escalate further.

� 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Palestinian, Egypt

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1 - 2 of 2 Comments

robert matzinger
6 months ago
The Arab World has never given up their dream of "driving the Jews into the sea." And this so called "Arab Spring" has only encouraged them that their dream can become the reality.

But won't, as God will protect his chosen people.
DLL
6 months ago
War is abortion. Only the abortive mentality can support war as a viable option. War is uncontrollable hatred directed at any one who disagrees with ones relative sense of values,right or wrong. War is indiscriminate. It is like some kid who for the hell of it threw a rock through a bedroom window. The rock broke a window,flew into a bedroom,then landed in a crib killing an infant in the process. The kid that threw the rock gleefully runs away laughing,thinking himself quite the marksman,as the rock clearly went bullseye through the glass,maximally scattering the shards of glass everywhere. He goes home to his mom and dad thinking nothing of it afterwards and has a nice dinner prepared for him. They the ask him at dinner,how was your day son? He replies,okay I guess. He has no emotion and no regrets. Sad! The consequence of the act completely escapes him. War is the act of random madness played out. War has always been and always will be EVIL. It is not the necessary evil either. War is like abortion,it is the act of those living giving up on others who have life,by the taking of life at random. It is so tragic because war is the random act of madness that involves the taking of innocent life. A bomb does not discriminate it simply destroys. Stop all war,let there be peace,there is no excuse for any nation to go to war with any other nation. Diplomacy is the voice of faith and reason. Remember a world war is complete and utter madness. There is no good in any of it. War is like a mindless childish act of aggression. I wish I could see the day when every thing on earth called a military weapon or bomb,would be destroyed and there would be no more wars. My pipe dream I suppose,but really wouldn't it be great,imagine the organized act of a sin,called war,would finally not be anyone's viable option,as it would become a sin of the past ages,inconceivable in this day and age. The end! No war would ever be able to begin again. The ultimate insult for any human being would to even hear the word war.

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