Rockets, Tunnels and Cease Fires

    Over the last week, I’ve noticed that some people are confused about these three concepts. Here is a short “Guide to the Perplexed”.

Rockets:

    Hamas and Islamic Jihad started the war with a stockpile of over 10,000 rockets of various types. Many had been supplied by Iran and Syria, and the rest manufactured in sophisticated, modern, underground factories scattered throughout the strip. Learning from their experience in the last Gaza war, they placed the launchers for the biggest missiles in numerous buried single-use silos, knowing full well that each launcher would be destroyed by Israel after its first use. Reusable multi-barrel launchers were placed in or close to mosques, schools, hospitals, day-cares and large apartment buildings.
     As of Tuesday, July 21, Hamas had launched over 2,000 rockets at Israel. 92% of those heading for populated areas were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system. The rest fell into open areas in Israel or into the Gaza strip where they caused considerable damage and casualties.
     The IDF estimates that it destroyed another 20-30% of the rocket stockpile, leaving Hamas with around 5,000 rockets. Many launchers had also been destroyed by air and ground attacks. On Tuesday night the IDF announced a noticeable reduction in the quantity of rockets fired that day.

Tunnels:

   Over the last five years Hamas has spent billions of dollars constructing a maze of underground tunnels, divided into two distinct categories: Network tunnels and Terror tunnels 

• Network Tunnels: This is an impressive engineering feat of literally building a “city beneath the city”. In the last several years, an entire city has been built 60 feet underground, exclusively for Hamas leadership and terrorists.  It is a complex series of underground passageways, some wide enough for a golf cart or jeep to get through, at two, three and even four levels, that includes large storage rooms, “living” areas, running water, plumbing, electricity, air, weapon stores, military style first aid stations (including operating rooms), and enough food to keep the political and terrorist leadership for months. These tunnels connect all the important buildings, hospitals and command centers, and several lead to “escape areas” for pick-up at the sea shore, hidden above-ground helipads or into Israel. In a damning report by the Washington Post, it was revealed that the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has become Hamas’s ‘de facto headquarters’, where they operate a central command center four stories below the hospital. Hamas’ leaders are often seen in the hallways and offices, or packing Palestinian children into ambulances to accompany them when traveling through Gaza’s streets.

• Terror Tunnels: These are large tunnels that lead into Israel for one of three purposes: 1.To let fully armed terrorist teams infiltrate Israel near a community to perpetrate major “Quality” terrorist attacks and then return to Gaza with hostages. 2. Tunnels that reach under nearby communities or military bases which are packed with explosives to be detonated with devastating results. 3. To smuggle weapons to Hamas terrorist cells inside Israel.

   It is the Terror Tunnels that Israel is seeking out and destroying in the ground operation. They are not connected to the “city beneath the city”, which Israel is leaving alone for now, even at the risk of letting Hamas terrorist leaders escape.
     American satellites have recently found at least 60 of these terror tunnels crossing the Israel-Gaza border, each at a cost of around $1 million. Each terror tunnel is complete with electricity and phone lines connecting back to the central command centers.
     Almost all of Israel’s military casualties to date have been during the uncovering of the Terror Tunnels, or while fighting Hamas terrorists that infiltrated using them. That’s why Israel will not agree to any permanent ceasefire until they are all destroyed.

Cease Fire

   As of this writing, there is an attempt in Cairo to arrange a temporary cease fire.
   With the exception of maybe more short  “humanitarian” lulls to let people stock up on food, water and basic supplies (all of which are sent into Gaza daily by Israel), I doubt that any significant breakthrough will happen for the simple reason that neither Israel nor Hamas want it.

   Israel has not yet reached its operational goal of stopping the rocket attacks and destroying all the Terror Tunnels.  Hamas has yet to achieve that elusive “quality” mass-casualty military success which will enable it to claim a “victory” that forced Israel to “beg” for a cease fire.

   With all due respect to the distinguished statesmen meeting in Cairo who think that they know what is best for Israel and the Palestinians, and that everything can be resolved with a few million dollars here and a wink and a nod there – with all the terrible pain and suffering on both sides, this war is not ready to be over yet, not by a long shot.