Instead of automatically responding against Hamas, Israel’s new policy focuses on targeting the individuals directly involved in rocket fire from Gaza. Since intelligence shows that Hamas is indeed working to prevent rocket fire, there is no point in destroying a Hamas training camp in response to rockets fired by a rebellious element.
Hitting the people directly involved in the launchings has international legitimacy – the Americans use the same method against al-Qaeda. Moreover, such intensive and systematic responses to rocket fire create a strong deterrent effect.
In previous years, Hamas and Islamic Jihad had nearly a monopoly over the acquisition of rockets, which arrived from Iran or were funded by Iran and entered Gaza through the smuggling tunnels. Recently, because of Egyptian activity against the tunnels, a large system of local rocket production has developed in Gaza.
{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}
