May 5. 2019
Since Saturday morning 492 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel. 21 rockets have landed within populated areas, 119 rockets have been intercepted by the Iron Dome. Air Raid / Red Alert sirens sounded throughout the south including Beer Sheva and as far north as Bet Shemesh, a central city near Jerusalem in the Judean Hills. Rockets are being launched by both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two Muslim terrorist organizations.
The Red Alert sirens only provide seconds for some Israeli families to run for cover, depending on how close they live to the rocket fire. Israelis are staying in their bomb shelters if they have one. Sometimes there is a common shelter for apartment buildings. Anyone in the world can download the free ‘Red Alert’ app. The app will notify by siren or other sounds when rockets are being fired into Israel, and lists the towns the rockets are heading to.
An 80-year-old Jewish woman was severely wounded by the rocket fire, a 50-year-old man was wounded by shrapnel and a teenage boy was hurt as he ran for cover. A 58-year-old Israeli father of 4 was killed after a rocket his home in Ashkelon. He died from shrapnel in his chest and abdomen. Two Israeli soldiers wounded by Gaza sniper fire another 21 Israeli citizens lightly wounded and so far 62 treated for panic, and shock. There are wounded on both sides of the border.
Israel retaliated by hitting around 120 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza. The military arm of the Islamic Jihad organization, announced the death of two of its fighters, who died in Israeli shelling. When Hamas and Islamic Jihad fire rockets into Israel, they are not guided to specific targets, they say that all Israelis are considered soldiers and the enemy. When Israel fires into the Gaza Strip they are guided missiles hitting militia targets. Israel takes extra measures to not hit civilians, but sometimes civilians are near targeted areas.
For the price of these rockets, Hamas could take care of their people. They could provide electricity 24/7, but instead some get 4 hours per day. Many people are not paid their wages and many have no work because there are few industries in Gaza. If Hamas cared for their people they would build shelters to protect them, instead of terror tunnels to destroy Israelis. As Golda Meir said long ago, “There will only be peace when the Arabs start loving their children more than they hate the Jews.”
Hamas is demanding Israel pay a $30 million, or they will keep shooting rockets at Israel. Sunday is the first day of the work and school week, but schools has been cancelled throughout Israel’s south.
“Turkey calls international community to act on ‘disproportionate actions’ by Israel” (Reuters) 2.5 million Israeli Citizens are hiding in shelters from Gaza rockets. Through the years, this ‘war’ comes and goes, but the people are traumatized and want to move freely without the threat of more rockets in the next few months. Israelis are pushing the Government to stop the rocket fire once and for all, but the Israeli Government knows that even more Arab civilians would die if they bombed Gaza.
Another problem for Israel is that Hizbullah, another Muslim terrorist organization on the northern border of Israel is threatening to launch thousands of rockets into Israel. Israel knows they have these rockets, and Hizbullah is ready to launch them from under hospitals, schools, mosques and other civilian buildings. If or when Israel retaliates, many civilians would become “Martyrs” says Hizbullah. Israel cannot afford to have war on two fronts, so they are refraining from sending ground troops into Gaza…so far.
Israel is supposed to host the 2019 Eurovision song contest events in less than two weeks, on May 14-18. It is to be launched in Tel Aviv, at a huge hangar on the exhibition grounds. But because of the rocket fire, tonight’s pre-Eurovision events were cancelled.
Hamas has threatened to strike Israel, “farther and wider than ever before”.
Israelis are asking for your prayers