Syrian Rebels are holding four UN peacekeepers prisoner. The four Filipino peacekeepers were on the Golan Heights to monitor the ceasefire line between Syria and Israel.

The Rebels claim they are holding them, to keep them safe.

This morning a rocket (or two according to some news sites) was fired at Ashkelon. No injuries, and of more concern, no siren to give those few seconds of warning. Yesterday, there were riots and many stoning attacks. Hamas has once again called for its “fighters” to kidnap soldiers.

I never for a moment believed this cease fire would last; never thought this was the dawn of a different enemy. But I thought we had more time; I still hope we do. I predicted six months of “relative quiet” – instead, we got only about two months.

And the reason….

I believe it is Obama’s upcoming visit. I do. The Palestinians have been cooking up this idea of when and how to put on the pressure, to start their next intifada. They have always believed that what they cannot achieve through international pressure, lies, and mistruths, they can accomplish with violence. We all knew it was a matter of time – I just thought there’d be more.

It was an M75 long range missile fired at a city with over 120,000 people.

Barack Obama is coming to Israel – for what, we have no idea. Some say to put pressure on Israel not to attack Iran – and for that I ask what right he has to pressure us, to think he knows more of what the Iranians plan to do than we do.

Some say he wants to restart the peace process, another absurd concept showing his utter lack of understanding. Obama does not know how to deal with the Middle East situation, but I have no doubt the Arabs no how to deal with Obama.

It shouldn’t be happening now…and it wouldn’t be, if Obama has not announced his upcoming visit. We don’t need Obama to visit. We simply do not.

Visit A Soldier’s Mother, where this blog was originally published under the title, “It Shouldn’t be Happening Now…”.

Today, the IDF announced that it had “accomplished its pre-determined objectives for Operation Pillar of Defense, and has inflicted severe damage to Hamas and its military capabilities.”

It is embarrassing to read this statement, which includes the fact that 130 rockets slammed into Israeli towns on the last day until the ceasefire came into effect at 9 PM. It does not even mention that 20 more struck between 9 PM and midnight.

While many Hamas rockets and launchers were destroyed, clearly many were not. Hamas has been building fortifications since 2009, and much of this infrastructure escaped the air bombardment. Hamas was certainly dealt a serious blow, but not a knockout punch. Its Iranian weapons suppliers will soon re-equip it, and it will probably get millions in ‘humanitarian’ aid from its friends in Europe.

Israel’s operation is estimated to have cost 3 billion Israeli Shekels (about $770 million). Each Tamir interceptor fired by Iron Dome cost $40,000. Now there is a ceasefire, and 30,000 reservists (cost: $60 million) will likely be sent home.

Hamas established that it can hit Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with missiles that can only improve in the future. It established that — by launching a large number of rockets at once, as it did in an attack on Beer Sheva today — it can overwhelm the Iron Dome system. It established that it can withstand a concentrated air attack and still fire rockets.

Palestinians understand quite well what happened, both the people in the street and their leaders.

As always, Israel’s overwhelming military might can’t stand up against the ‘persuasive’ powers of the White House, and yet again defeat is snatched from the jaws of victory. There will be another round, and another, and another.

But what do you expect? Israel is addicted to US weapons systems and spare parts — and now, to the Iron Dome system, developed in Israel but funded by the US. Saying no is unthinkable.

One question that Israelis are asking is this: why didn’t Barak and Netanyahu expect this? Did they have assurances from the Obama administration that they could go into Gaza, assurances which were later withdrawn? It doesn’t make sense to call up 30,000 reservists just to scare the other side.

We’ll probably never know exactly what happened. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t interpret this as a positive outcome for Israel.

Visit FresnoZionism.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister has announced that a truce between Israel and Hamas will go into effect at 9 PM GMT, 2 PM Eastern.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently spoke with President Barack Obama and accepted his recommendation to give a chance to the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire, and thus provide an opportunity to stabilize the situation and calm it down before it became necessary to use even more force.

Netanyahu expressed his deep appreciation to the president’s support of Israel during the operation and his contribution to the Iron Dome system.

The prime minister reiterated that Israel will take all necessary steps to protect the citizens of Israel.

An Egyptian official confirmed to Reuters that a ceasefire agreement was reached between Palestinians, Israel. Israel has agreed to a truce in Gaza, but will not lift blockade: Israeli sources. (Reuters)

Hillary Clinton on Egyptian TV Wednesday Night

Secretary Clinton said on Egyptian television tonight: “The U.S. will work with partners across the region, improve conditions in Gaza, provide security for the people in Israel. Every step must move us towards a comprehensive peace for all the people in the region. Egypt is assuming responsibility and leadership of the region.”

Clinton made no mention of Hamas in her short speech, referring only to PA president Mahmoud Abbas.

The Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal has Egyptian “guarantees,” an Egyptian source close to the truce talks told Reuters.

An Egyptian source said the truce includes an end to “assassinations” and “incursions,” and will also ease movement of Palestinians in and out of Gaza. (Reuters)

The Ma’an news agency reports that Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri hailed the explosion in Tel Aviv this afternoon.

“Hamas blesses the attack in Tel Aviv and sees it as a natural response to the Israeli massacres…in Gaza,” he told Reuters. “Palestinian factions will resort to all means in order to protect our Palestinian civilians in the absence of a world effort to stop the Israeli aggression.”

Sweet cakes were handed out in celebration in Gaza’s main hospital, which has been inundated with wounded from the round-the-clock Israeli bombing and shelling.

“You opened the gates of hell on yourselves,” Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam brigades, said on Twitter. “Oh Zionists, you have to drag yourselves out of hell, go back home now, go back to Germany, Poland, Russia, America and anywhere else.”

The last time a bomb blast hit Israel’s commercial capital was in April 2006, when an Arab suicide bomber killed 11 people at a sandwich stand near the old central bus station.

Hamas Terrorists have fired at least four rockets at Tel Aviv over the past week, but they were not able to get any direct hits and caused no casualties.

Israel launched its air offensive with the goal of putting a stop all missile launches out of the Gaza Strip, which lies a little over 40 miles south of Tel Aviv. So far, despite a dense and relentless pounding by the Israeli air force, of targets that have been analyzed and picked over months, and despite the fact that many Hamas assets have been laid to ruin – the terrorists are still able to inflict pain on Israel’s civilian population.

As every army in modern history has learned, you can’t win wars from the air, or even with artillery from afar. Wars are won by infantry and armored units who move in and deny the enemy the freedom to continue operations.

Now pass me one of them sweet cakes.

A purported ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday at mighnight, apparently negotiated by Egyptian officials, putting an end to IDF strikes on terror installations in Gaza in exchange for a halting of rocket fire from terrorists.

The Israeli government did not confirm the announcement.

Over 80 missiles were fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza on civilians in southern Israel on Wednesday.  Three foreign workers and two Israelis were injured, and eight houses suffered damage.

IDF retaliation resulted in the deaths of three terrorist operatives from Gaza who were in the process of launching further attacks on Israel.

According to reports on Army Radio, the ceasefire was initiated by Hamas, who made its interest in making an agreements known through Egyptian intermediaries.  Sources in the capital city of Jerusalem said they believe Hamas initiated contact due to severe Israeli damage inflicted on their terror centers.

The Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha begins on Friday.

In August 2005, opponents of the forced withdrawal of Jewish residents from the Gaza communities of Gush Katif warned that Gaza would become a hotbed of terrorism if Israel relinquished sovereignty on the area.  Since then, over 8,000 rockets have been launched against civilian targets in Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Israelis on Sunday that Israel’s armed forces would protect residents of the south, as a tentative quiet followed a weekend of rockets lobbed on the region from Gaza.

“The IDF will act forcefully against those who are trying to harm us, and if necessary, will act with even more force,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said at Sunday’s cabinet meeting. “Our policy is to use force in order to return security and quiet to the residents of the South.”

The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted five Grad rockets from Gaza on Saturday targeting the 113,000 residents of the city of Ashkelon.  Gazan-based terrorists launched 25 rockets against targets in southern Israel on Saturday, damaging a school and a factory and bringing the total number of rockets fired in the last week to 150.

A fragile Egypt brokered an even more fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which appears to be in effect since the last Grad missile was launched at 10pm on Saturday.  Schools were open as usual on Sunday morning.

Despite the fear and tension which the rocket fire has caused in southern Israel, several residents and potential victims reported experiencing miracles which kept them and their families safe from harm.

The majority of the rockets in the six day barrage were aimed at the border city of Sderot, with others landing in the Eshkol, Ashkelon Beach and Shaar HaNegev Regional Councils.  A rocket which landed at a Sderot factory moderately-to-severely injured a 50 year old male factory employee who was hit in the neck and by shrapnel and evacuated by a Magen David Adom medical team to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkeon.  The factory sustained heavy damage and two civilians were treated for shock.  A rocket which hit an empty school caused serious damage but no injuries.

Israeli security leadership held emergency meetings with the Prime Minister on Saturday, with security sources stating that “quiet will be met with quiet, but more rocket fire will be met with further fire.”

Several area residents were treated for shock, with IDF Home Front Command urging residents to remain close to bomb shelters.  Sderot mayor David Buskila convened a special meeting with police and Home Front Command officials on Saturday, demanding that the government protect the town, and reporting that the city’s center for victims of stress and anxiety was open for the public.

Israel responded to attacks by launching a targeted strike against Gaza terrorists, with the Israel Air Force killing one terrorist in northern Gaza near Jabaliya as he prepared to launch a missile, and killing another en route on a motorcycle to a rocket launching site outside Gaza City

Israeli Air Force jets bombed three Hamas military bases in Gaza on Saturday morning, injuring 20 according to sources in Gaza.

Israeli airstrikes have killed at least six Gaza terrorists since Monday.

At least 4 rockets attacks have been launched at Eshkol, Ashkelon, and Sha’ar  Ha’Negev since the cease fire began last night. Still, the rate of shooting has subsided substantially since last night Egypt was successful in mediating a ceasefire between Palestinian terror factions and Israel, after four days of rocket attacks into Israel which were met by Israeli highly effective airborne response.

An Egyptian official told AP that the ceasefire went into effect at 1 a.m. Tuesday local time. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the volatility of the situation. A formal announcement of a cease-fire is not expected immediately. As first reported in the JewishPress.com Scoops section, there were quite a number of false starts until it mostly took hold.

After hours of talks, the various Palestinian Jihadist groups agreed to stop launching rockets at southern Israeli cities and Israel agreed to stop targeting terrorist leaders from the air.

Israeli officials cited Israel’s longstanding policy of “answering quiet with quiet,” but it is expected that enough new rocket attacks would bring back renewed air strikes.

Gaza’s Hamas Islamist leadership, whose official policy denies Israel’s right to exist and revokes the Oslo peace accords, has nevertheless kept out of the fighting and appeared unwilling to provoke and even greater conflict with Israel. Hamas confirmed that Egypt was mediating a deal to stop the fighting.

The ceasefire agreement followed calls for calm from the US, the UN, China, France, the EU and the Arab League.

Israel said Gaza Jihadists had fired between 150-200 rockets in four days at its southern towns since the fighting began on Friday. Back then Israel killed a senior Islamic Jihad terrorist who was on his way to attack Israel from Egyptian territory. The same terrorist had been the commander of the terrorist group that abducted of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit

Eight Israelis were injured by the rockets. An exceptionally high 85% of targeted rockets were intercepted by Israel’s “Iron Dome” system.

According to Palestinian sources, twenty of the Palestinians killed in the fighting were terrorists who were caught in the act of launching rockets against Israeli civilians. Five Palestinian civilians were reportedly killed in the fire exchanges. The terrorist were launching strikes from populated areas to use the civilians as human shields.