Gaza War: A Repeat of 'Cast Lead'?
The current situation in Gaza is disturbingly similar to that in late 2008. The assassination of a high ranking Hamas military commander in Gaza on Wednesday has led to an upsurge of violence that has not been seen since the infamous and brutal Israeli onslaught on the besieged strip of land in 2008/9. As of Saturday, an estimated 38 Palestinians and 3 Israelis have been killed in the violence and there are now fears of a repeat of the bloody 'Cast Lead' operation, which claimed the lives of over 1,400 Palestinians, many of whom were civilians. The main fear when there are strikes on Gaza are as usual civilian casualties. The small area of land is densely populated with an estimated 1.5 million people, many of whom are children living in harsh conditions put in place by the Israeli blockade, seen by many as 'collective punishment'. 75,000 troops have been ordered to be drafted and mobilised on the Gaza border with Israel, increasing tensions that Israel will launch a major ground invasion, note that only 10,000 were used in Operation Cast Lead. When ever there is an operation on this scale, there are sure to be casualties on both sides, certainly more on the Palestinian side as seen some 4 years ago. Israelis have also been under fire although not as intense and deadly as the Palestinians in Gaza face under the might of one of the world's most technologically advanced armies. The militants or 'resistance' in Gaza use rockets sometimes jokingly described as 'car bombs on catapults'. The highly inaccurate rockets either land on remote desert lands or are dealt with by the Israeli 'Iron Dome' missile defence shield. The few that do get through and hit Israeli towns and cities can sometimes cause deaths, as seen a few days ago when 3 Israeli civilians were killed in the town of Kiriyat Malachi by a rocket fired from Gaza. The civilian price in conflicts such as these are always high and if there is to be another ground incursion, there is no doubt that unfortunately more Palestinian lives will be lost and in retaliation, Israeli civilians might also come under fire. There are no signs of the conflict ending, with Hamas declaring the 'Gates of Hell' have opened, aiming rockets at Tel Aviv and even as far as illegal settlements in the West Bank close to Jerusalem whereas Israel continues to bomb not only military targets but also the parliament, electric transformers, stadiums and mosques. Attempts to reach peace by Egypt and other Arab nations have almost certainly failed. The international community can now only watch on as more civilian lives are lost.