Sunday, July 27, 2014

Israel vs Hamas: Five Reasons Why This War is Different

Israel and Hamas have fought at least 10 wars and skirmishes in the past decade. All have resulted in the deaths of civilians, uneasy truces and preparations for the next confrontation.
But the latest conflict is unique because of technological advances in weaponry on both sides and a transformed political landscape in the Mideast that, in this rare instance, favors Israel.
Here are five key factors shaping the fighting that is now in its third week:
• Rockets' range: Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group that governs the Gaza Strip, has increased the range of its rockets significantly since 2012. Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces, says Hamas has been able to obtain a Syrian-made rocket that can travel up to 100 miles, representing "a huge improvement on their capability."
Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the Palestine Center, a think tank in Washington, says Hamas militants have been able to modify the rockets to develop even greater range.
The result is that the rockets reach well beyond southern Israeli communities near Gaza that have felt threatened for years. This time, rocket fire has disrupted life in Israel's major cities, from the coastal financial and cultural center, Tel Aviv, to the capital, Jerusalem.
On Tuesday, a rocket damaged a home in Yahud, about a mile from Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, prompting the cancellation of all U.S. flights and many from Europe, which hasn't happened since the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
Palestinian fighters have also acquired anti-tank weapons that complicate the fight for Israel, Munayyer says.
Find out the other 4 Reasons and read the rest of the story HERE.

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