Skip to main content

Israel's defense minister sets out on his own path in battle against Hamas

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's carrot-and-stick plan for the West Bank and strong retaliation against Gaza rocket fire reflect an effort to set himself apart from his predecessor, Moshe Ya'alon.
Members of Palestinian security forces loyal to Hamas survey a Hamas site after it was hit by an Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza Strip August 22, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa  - RTX2MINM
Read in 

A Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip on Aug. 21 exploded in downtown Sderot, in southern Israel. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the explosion caused significant damage to a building. The rocket interrupted the relatively long-standing quiet in Sderot and other localities surrounding the Gaza Strip and interfered with preparations for a major music festival that opened that same evening. Since Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014, rocket fire from Gaza has declined considerably. Nevertheless, Qassam rockets have occasionally been fired, mainly, in the words of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), by “recalcitrant” groups that have sprouted up in Gaza beneath Hamas’ radar.

Israel was quick to respond the same afternoon. A tank fired a shell or two at Hamas targets in Beit Hanoun, and an Israeli drone flying over Gaza at the time responded with symbolic fire against a few targets. To that point, everything was a matter of routine. The Israeli response followed the rules of the game eked out in blood and fire over the past two years: If a single rocket, or a few rockets, is fired from Gaza, Israel will respond by firing back immediately, and quiet is restored in a matter of hours.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.