News
As rocket attacks decline, IDF refrains from responses
According to Israeli media reports, on Saturday the Hamas authorities in Gaza began to relay messages to Israel that they were interested in a ceasefire and a return to the relative calm that pertained prior to the latest escalation. An Israeli official quoted in Haaretz said that four separate channels had been used to convey this message – the UN Middle East envoy Robert Serry, Egyptian intelligence officials, and two European countries that have ties with Hamas. In an unusual move, Hamas’s deputy foreign minister, Ghazi Hamad, also called for a halt to the fighting in an interview in Hebrew, given to Israel Radio. The Israeli message throughout has been that if the rocket attacks stop, the Israeli response will also stop.
The unofficial understandings have already showed some results. Israel carried out no air strikes against Hamas targets yesterday, as Palestinian rocket attacks sharply declined. Thirteen rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel during the course of the day. No injuries and damage were reported as a result of the rocket fire. An unnamed defence official quoted in the Jerusalem Post outlined Israel’s policy, saying that if a rocket or missile were to fall on a populated area and cause casualties, this would necessitate a response, but Israel would ‘look differently’ at rockets landing in open areas.
Hamas’s move for a relatively early return to a de-facto ceasefire indicates that a level of deterrence has been achieved. IDF officials yesterday reported that 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives, including a senior commander from the Rafah area, have been killed in recent days. Another important factor was the success of the Iron Dome rocket interception system, which was successfully deployed for the first time. The system succeeded in intercepting and destroying eight rockets. Six new batteries of the system are planned for the period ahead, also aiding in restoring deterrence. Defence Minister Ehud Barak noted that the success of Iron Dome “has deeply impacted Israel’s ability to act operationally and to manoeuvre diplomatically against challenges.”