Dubious Milestone

Seven years ago the first rocket was shot from Gaza. Since then over 10,000 have been fired resulting in 22 Israeli deaths and over 3,000 residents fleeing the vicinity (make that "over 3,005"). The latest barrage was on Thursday.

At least 40 mortars and 25 Qassams landed in Israel, primarily in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, [and] a number of fires have broken out as a result.

Why? Earlier that day a house in Gaza massively exploded, killing seven (including a couple Hamas bigwigs and children) and wounding 40 others, many seriously. Hamas predictably blames Israel and angrily retaliates with the usual terror.

Except that's not what really happened.

Hamas on Friday claimed responsibility for an explosion a day earlier in a house in northern Gaza that killed seven Palestinians, one of them an infant girl.

An announcement Friday on the official Web site of Hamas' military wing says the group's martyrs died while putting the final touches on a plan to carry out a special holy war mission.

In other words, the bomb intended to be used on Israelis blew up while they were making it.

You'd think that the idea of assembling bombs in a house full of loved ones would bring a moment of pause at some point. And especially since this is the umpteenth time this very thing has happened.

It's a shame, Gaza. But one thing is for sure: it's just better to be away from it all. But we still pray.

UPDATE - As always, true to form, another rocket struck Ashkelon today, wounding at least one. This time it landed next to the open-air market, as shown in a previous post. And, as opposed to the pretext used above, there was really no reason the Gaza terrorists hit Ashkelon today. Just terrorists being terrorists. I guess.