IDF pummels terrorists, but Iran is the main culprit

From Arutz Sheva, 13 July 2014, by Orly Harari, Tova Dvorin:

Binyamin Netanyahu vows to continue pummeling terrorists in weekly Cabinet meeting; calls on int'l community to recognize Iran's role.

Israel uses military to protect the residents of Israel, and Hamas uses the residents of Gaza to protect terrorists

Who hides in mosques? Who puts arsenals under hospitals? Who puts command centers in residences or near kindergartens?

Hamas leaders hide under ground and flee abroad, while deliberately putting their own civilians in the line of fire

Iran funds, trains and arms Hamas with long-range missiles  used to target civilians all over Israel

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed Operation Protective Edge on Sunday, opening his weekly Cabinet meeting with several harsh words for Hamas.

"Israel is conducting a vigorous military campaign against Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip," Netanyahu began. "Hamas has chosen to attack our cities with massive and indiscriminate rocket fire."

"I said from the outset that we would respond in strength against this criminal firing at our citizens and this is what we are doing," he continued. "We are striking Hamas with increasing strength. We are hitting commanders, militants, arsenals and command centers. The IDF, ISA, security services, firefighters, the Israel Police – everyone is doing their part and doing it in the best way possible."

'No' to a Ceasefire
Netanyahu stressed that it is Hamas, not Israel, who endangers civilian lives.

"But one must understand how our enemy operates," he said. "Who hides in mosques? Hamas. Who puts arsenals under hospitals? Hamas. Who puts command centers in residences or near kindergartens? Hamas."

"Hamas is using the residents of Gaza as human shields and it is bringing disaster to the civilians of Gaza; therefore, for any attack on Gaza civilians, which we regret, Hamas and its partners bear sole responsibility," he declared. "The leadership of Hamas and the other organizations has chosen – at a time when they are using the population of Gaza as human shields – to hide under ground, to flee abroad and to deliberately put civilians in the line of fire."
"This is the entire difference between us and Hamas – we are using defensive systems against missiles to protect the residents of Israel and they are using the residents of Gaza to protect arsenals of missiles," he continued. "Nothing better underscores the difference in this campaign. Israel is a democracy that is fighting – in a legitimate and focused manner – against unbridled terrorists and no country in the world would do any less than we are doing to protect our citizens."

A Hamas spokesperson called for Gaza residents to act as human shields on live television earlier this week, calling the move "an effective strategy" in the PR war against Israel and encouraging Palestinian Arabs to stay in their homes despite IDF warnings to prevent casualties.

As a result, at least 166 have been estimated to have been killed in Gaza in less than a week - mostly civilians, according a United Nations estimate. 

The deaths have sparked outrage from Arab countries and international bodies; calls have escalated for a cease-fire. Netanyahu emphasized, however, that Israel would continue to act against Hamas - despite pressure from the UN and others for such an arrangement.

"We will continue to act in a patient and level-headed manner, with responsibility, and vigorously in order to achieve the goal of the operation – the restoration of quiet for a long period while inflicting a significant blow on Hama and the other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip," he said. "The IDF is prepared for all possibilities."

Israel reportedly offered Hamas a 40-hour cease-fire last week, sources said Sunday afternoon, which Hamas immediately rejected. It should be noted that not only has Hamas breached each cease-fire ever offered from Israel since rocket fire began in 2001, but also that they have reiterated repeatedly during the current hostilities that they have no interest in a cease-fire arrangement.

Israel, too, rejected a cease-fire over the weekend, saying nothing by a total cessation of rocket-fire against Israeli civilians would be deemed acceptable.

Roughly 8,000 rockets have been fired on Israeli civilians since the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza...

A warning against Iran
Netanyahu concluded by linking the rocket fire to Iran.

"Today in Vienna, the foreign ministers of the major powers are discussing the question of dealing with Iran's nuclear program," he stated. "I would like to remind them Hamas and Islamic Jihad are being financed, armed and trained by Iran."

"Iran is a major power of terrorism that finances, arms and trains the terrorist organizations that we are fighting against," he continued. "This Iran cannot be allowed the ability to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons. If this happens, the things that we are seeing around us and the things that are happening in the Middle East will be far worse."

..."The prediction of Iran as a nuclear threshold state cannot be allowed to come true, it cannot. This cannot be and it will not be." 

Iran has been crucial in providing Hamas and Islamic Jihad with long-range missiles such as the Fajr-5 and M302 - the latter of which is believed to have been used to target cities in central Israel.

Earlier this year, Israeli naval commandos seized the Klos C ship, and discovered weapons including long-range rockets destined for terrorist groups in Gaza.