Palestinian rocket strike sparks criticism amidst Israeli retreat: NYT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: New York Times
17 Jan 2024 20:25
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Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official of the Palestinian resistance told the newspapers that "Israel's" goals have proven to be fantasies.

Israeli army tank moves near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024 (AP Photo)

A report by the New York Times on Wednesday detailed that a recent attack carried out by the Palestinian resistance on the settlement of "Netivot", located six miles from the border with Gaza, has reignited criticism from the more extremist factions within "Israel".

The reason for such criticism is owed to a recent decision adopted by the cabinet to reduce certain military operations in the ongoing war.

According to the report, the rocket barrage highlighted the challenges faced by Israeli officials, balancing the widespread public demand to suppress the resistance, calls from extremist politicians for increased aggression, appeals from families of Israeli captives for concessions, and global outrage over the devastation in Gaza.

Trumped expectations

Israeli military analysts claim that the military has significantly diminished the rocket-launching capabilities of the resistance and other groups in Gaza since the war's onset. But they pointed out that these capabilities have not completely withered, and the process of achieving this goal could take months, if not longer.

"The continued firing of rockets tells us that we haven’t finished our mission," said Yaakov Amidror, a retired general who served as a security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "There are still areas that we need to clean up."

With the genocide claiming so far the lives of over 24,000 civilians in Gaza, the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees stated on Tuesday that this war has caused the most extensive displacement of the Palestinian people since the expulsion and flight of hundreds of thousands during the late 1940s wars surrounding the creation of "Israel."

"People in Gaza risk dying of hunger just miles from trucks filled with food," Cindy McCain, who directs the World Food Program, said on Monday. "Every hour lost puts countless lives at risk."

Qatar's foreign ministry on Tuesday declared the success of a mediated agreement, involving the delivery of medicine and humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians in exchange for providing necessary medications for Israeli captives held by the Resistance.

Prior to the war's outbreak, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) estimated that the resistance possessed an arsenal of over 10,000 rockets. However, recent reports indicate that well over 12,000 rockets have been fired at "Israel" in the course of the war.

IOF withdrawal from northern Gaza

On Monday, the Israeli military withdrew a division from northern Gaza, part of a broader drawdown aimed at alleviating the strain of the war on the Israeli economy.

Following the rocket barrage on Tuesday morning, extremist members of Prime Minister Netanyahu's war cabinet called for an urgent re-examination of that decision.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, "Israel’s" extremist security minister, said the decision to withdraw some soldiers was "a serious, grave error that will cost lives." He further called on "Israel" to reoccupy Gaza indefinitely.

The rocket barrage "proves that conquering Gaza is essential to realizing the war’s goals," he said in a statement.