Are Gaza rockets a first taste of next Israel-Hamas war?
The rocket that hit a home in Beersheba on Oct. 17 made it clear that if Israel carries out threats for a war against Gaza, the price will be very steep.
Anyone seeking to understand the latest flare-up between Gaza and Israel must keep in mind two self-evident facts. The first is that there is no way whatsoever that Hamas was not involved in the firing of two Grad rockets from Gaza into Israel this week. The second is that Hamas and Israel are not interested in going to war at this time and each is adopting a posture of “grab me before I go crazy and punch out the other guy’s lights.”
On the night of Oct. 16-17, two 122 mm Grad rockets were fired from Gaza — one toward a central Israeli city (Israeli authorities did not disclose the exact location), the other toward the southern town of Beersheba. The first landed in the sea, the second hit a house. By dint of a mother’s resourcefulness in rushing her three children into a shelter, no one was hurt.
