By Aryeh Savir
JERUSALEM (TNA) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interviewed Sunday, July 13, on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation’ and Fox News’ ‘Sunday.’ Netanyahu’s primary objective was to strengthen the legitimacy of Operation ‘Protective Edge’ in the international realm. He stressed the difference between the IDF’s actions and Hamas’ targeting of civilians, while using their own civilians as shields and their homes as centers for terror.
“Here’s a difference between us. We’re using missile defense to protect our civilians and they’re using their civilians to protect their missiles. That’s basically the difference. They’re embedding these rockets that they’re firing wholesale into our cities, terrorist rocketing, trying to kill as many as they can,” said Netanyahu.
“They’re not succeeding because of two reasons. One is because we’ve developed this incredible missile defense system, which I think is a stark development in the history of defensive warfare, with US help and I want to thank the American people, President Obama, the US Congress, for helping us fund this amazing development. But the other reason we’re succeeding – you have to understand some of the rockets do pierce through this shield and the reason we’re succeeding is also because we’re targeting the terrorists. The terrorists are firing from homes. These homes are actually command posts of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad army. That’s where they have their secure communications, weapon caches, rockets hidden, maps rooms and so on. These are their command posts. Obviously, we’re not going to give them immunity and so we have to attack them and we try to minimize as we can civilian casualties.”
A rocket attack occurred during the interview itself. “We’ve just received now a quiet alert as we’re giving this interview… what you’re hearing right now is the calm alert. In other words, when we began this interview, we were under bomb alert and as the minutes passed, now we are being told that people can go out into the open air again. This is the kind of reality we’re living in, and we’ll do – as I said – whatever is necessary to put an end to this.”
Netanyahu tied the front in Gaza with the ongoing talks between the West and Iran on their nuclear development project. “This is the same Iran that is arming, financing, training Hamas and Islamic Jihad; this is the preeminent terrorist empire of our time. Not even a terrorist state; it’s a terrorist empire. It’s got these terror provinces. You don’t want this Iran to have either nuclear weapons nor the capability to make nuclear weapons, to enrich uranium for a nuclear bomb in short order, in a few weeks or a few months. They could do that unless that’s changed.” Netanyahu strongly rejected any possible compromise with Iran on the nuclear subject.
In related news: In what seems to have become a routine, the Hamas continued to fire rockets at civilian targets all across Israel throughout the day and night, as the IDF continued to attack terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip. More than 130 rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel on Sunday, July 13. At least 102 rockets struck Israel. 22 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
Koby Gideon / GPO.
A rocket fired from Gaza hit electricity infrastructure in Israel that supplies power to Gaza, cutting power to about 70,000 people in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah. The Israel Electric Company (IEC) decided for the time being not to fix the power line, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister for Regional Development Silvan Shalom instructed the company not to put the lives of IEC workers at risk. Hamas is known to snipe at Israelis working on the fence near to Gaza. The power line will be fixed when the security situation allows it, the company said.
As a prelude to heavier attacks on rocket launching sites situated primarily in northern Gaza, the IDF dropped leaflets Sunday and sent cell-phone messages to the Gazans living it that area. The messages warned civilians to move away from Hamas terrorists and command centers, which pose a grave risk to their safety. Hamas urged Palestinians to ignore these warnings, hoping that they continue to serve as human shields. Israeli air strikes have yet to increase in volume or magnitude.
The Security Cabinet still seems to be undecided on a ground incursion into Gaza, and is still trying to utilize to the fullest its air and artillery options.
On Monday, the IDF shot down an unmanned ultra light plane flying from the Gaza Strip into Israel. A Patriot battery identified the incursion and downed the aircraft over the Ashdod beach. It is unclear if the aircraft was sent in for terror reasons or for reconnaissance purposes.
This was the first Patriot interception in over 20 years.
Overnight, 19 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, two of them causing damage to property.
A bit past midnight three rockets were fired at northern Israel from Lebanon. One hit an open area. The IDF immediately responded with artillery fire towards the source. UNIFIL has been notified of the severity of the incident.
A rocket fired from Syria also hit Israel. An IDF source stated that the fire was probably intentional and not a spillover form the civil war being waged there. The IDF responded with artillery toward Syrian military posts. Hits were confirmed.
Since the start of the operation, over 971 rockets have been launched at Israel. 754 of those rockets hit Israel, and approximately 201 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. The IDF has targeted over 1,474 terror targets, with both naval and aerial capabilities.
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Savir is a staff writer for Tazpit News Agency.