Here's to hoping Chemda's family is safe in Israel.

[Ant-LOX]

Out of sight - Out of mind.

fuck all of those people.

[dzagama]

Originally Posted by Ant-LOX

Out of sight - Out of mind.

fuck all of those people.

LiveLeak.com - Raw Aftermath : Israeli Airstrikes Kill 180,Injure 800.

Welcome to the Earth. It's shrinking.

-edit-

To keep it even, here's a dirty Arab shooting a rocket into Israel:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4ef_1179816888

[Ant-LOX]

Oh I'll watch them get blow up - But I can't care for people I don't know - I would be lying if I said I did.

[DaveNJ]

Originally Posted by Bebe

Gaza is the Arab-occupied area of Israel...it's the Jews that are doing the bombing.

Not quite. Gaza is part of Palestine, or what eventually will be Palestine. Unlike the West Bank, which is controlled by the moderate government of Mahmoud Abbas, Gaza is controlled by Hamas, a combination terrorist and political entity with ties to Iran and Syria. Israel has Arab citizens, but they're not the same thing as Palestinians.

Since 2005, when Israel removed all settlements from Gaza per international demands, Hamas has gained power in Gaza, capturing Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit in 2006 and completely ousting Abbas' forces in June 2007, gaining complete control of the Strip.

Since then Israel has enacted a land, sea, and air blockade with the help of Egypt, which also shares a border with Gaza. Hamas, intent on Israel's destruction per its charter, has used Gaza as a launching pad for approximately 5,000 crude homemade rockets. While they are nigh impossible to aim Hamas loads them with shrapnel, and these Qassams end up creating a lot of terror in the south of Israel, specifically the town of Sderot.

Anywho, since June this year a rough truce existed between Hamas and Israel, but the rocket fire never really stopped entirely and Israel did not lift the blockade in response.

The truce reached its end last week. Since then rocket fire has intensified. Israel, in the hope of renewing the truce, restrained its actions until yesterday, when it blew up every Hamas police station and training outpost in Gaza simultaneously with F-16 fighter/bombers. The casualties are majority Hamas personnel, but Gaza is incredibly cramped and Hamas based itself primarily in cities to create a large human shield. As a result approximately 25% of the casualties are civilian of the 230 dead thus far.

Now Israel is kinda not into the idea of a truce, and the international community ultimately won't do much. Both sides will fight it out, a few Israeli civilians will die from rocket attacks, Hamas will renew suicide bombings in Israel, Israel will use limited ground incursions into Gaza and many Hamas fighters and Gaza civilians will die.

Fortunately, Chemda's parents don't live in the South, so unless Hezbollah gets involved they ought to be fine unless some rogue suicide bomber gets lucky.

Or, to put that stuff succinctly, boom goes the dynamite.

[jeffdrafttech]

Thousands of Israeli reservists have been called up.
Is Deuce still in the Israeli military? I know a lot of people here don't like him but I always got a chuckle from his antics.
Hopefully he's OK and will remain safe too.
Check in and let us know you're alright Deuce, if your lurking around.

[Bebe]

Originally Posted by DaveNJ

Not quite.

Lulz, I am aware of all this, I was trying to keep it simple, and not used words like 'Palestine'....

[da_ticklah]

Originally Posted by DaveNJ

Not quite. . . .

thanks that was the best explanation I could find

[Forbin]

I second that. That's a nice roundup Dave.

Things have, of course developed and the death toll is rising. According to the BBC, 600 people in Gaza have now been killed. I don't think it's fair to say that the majority are Hamas personnel at this point as the number of children killed represents about a third of that total.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Children hit hard as Gaza toll rises

As is so common, old men start wars but it's the young that pay the price.

[Mikey]

anyone think this will be the end finally? I mean, they will always have problems with insurgents after the fact... but for the most part, Isreal "wins", just like we "won" in the middle east.

[EllaMacFarlane]

Originally Posted by jeffdrafttech

Thousands of Israeli reservists have been called up.
Is Deuce still in the Israeli military? I know a lot of people here don't like him but I always got a chuckle from his antics.
Hopefully he's OK and will remain safe too.
Check in and let us know you're alright Deuce, if your lurking around.

I dont know about deuce but nihility from the forums was called to serve.

thanks for everyone's wishes.