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Five more Israeli soldiers have been killed over the past two days.
Last night the FAA lifted its restriction on American airlines flying to Ben Gurion Airport.
The FAA has lifted its restrictions on U.S. airline flights into and out of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport by cancelling a Notice to Airmen it renewed earlier today. The cancellation is effective at approximately 11:45 p.m. EDT.Before making this decision, the FAA worked with its U.S. government counterparts to assess the security situation in Israel and carefully reviewed both significant new information and measures the Government of Israel is taking to mitigate potential risks to civil aviation.
Hamas had considered the restriction of flights to be a “great victory.” Yesterday on The Situation Room, Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan claimed that Hamas was targeting Ben Gurion because there were military flights there.
Despite the ban two high profile American flew to Israel. One was John Kerry who is trying to get Israel to accept a ceasefire, one that would likely give Hamas a victory.
The other one is former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who sees the ban as misplaced.
“This evening I will be flying on El Al to Tel Aviv to show solidarity with the Israeli people and to demonstrate that it is safe to fly in and out of Israel. Ben Gurion is the best protected airport in the world and El Al flights have been regularly flying in and out of it safely,” Bloomberg said in a statement.”The flight restrictions are a mistake that hand Hamas an undeserved victory and should be lifted immediately. I strongly urge the FAA to reverse course and permit US airlines to fly to Israel,” Bloomberg added.
In what may turn out to be one of the most important stories of Operation Protective Edge, 150 Hamas soldiers surrendered to Israeli forces. Globes reports:
As day 17 of Operation Protective Edge begins the IDF announced that it had captured and detained 150 Hamas terrorists during the night in and around Khan Younis and Rafiah. The terrorists found themselves surrounded by IDF forces and surrendered. They are now undergoing questioning by Israeli intelligence officers and are expected to reveal extensive and vital information about Hamas operations.
Regurgitating Hamas’ talking points and ignoring the UNRWA’s close working relationship with Hamas, the United Nations Human Rights Council called for an investigation for alleged war crimes by Israel.
Hillel Neuer blasted the proceedings.
The Washington Post published an extremely strong editorial today, The U.S. should push for the disarming of Hamas in Gaza-Israel cease-fire.
Hamas’s offensive tunnels should not be confused with the burrows it has dug under Gaza’s border with Egypt to smuggle money, consumer goods and military equipment. The newly discovered structures have only one conceivable purpose: to launch attacks inside Israel. Three times in recent days, Hamas fighters emerged from the tunnels in the vicinity of Israeli civilian communities, which they clearly aimed to attack. The concrete-lined structures are stocked with materials, such as handcuffs and tranquilizers, that could be used on hostages. Other tunnels in northern Gaza are designed for the storage and firing of missiles at Israeli cities. …The depravity of Hamas’s strategy seems lost on much of the outside world, which — following the terrorists’ script — blames Israel for the civilian casualties it inflicts while attempting to destroy the tunnels. While children die in strikes against the military infrastructure that Hamas’s leaders deliberately placed in and among homes, those leaders remain safe in their own tunnels. There they continue to reject cease-fire proposals, instead outlining a long list of unacceptable demands.
The editorial concludes that no arrangement that leaves Hamas in charge will bring peace. While the recommendation of returning Fatah rule to Gaza is hardly a guarantee of peace and stability, the acknowledgement that Hamas cannot be trusted is important. The idea that Hamas must be disarmed is gaining traction.
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[Photo: Israel Defense Forces / YouTube ]
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