You’ve Read The News - Now Understand It
Ryan Jones, Israel Today Staff — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a major hit in the polls over his perceived failure to defeat Hamas and provide security to the residents of southern Israel.A public survey commissioned and reported on by Israel’s Channel 2 News on Monday revealed a pitiful 38 percent approval rating for Netanyahu. A similar poll conducted by Channel 2 just a month earlier, when Israeli ground forces were in Gaza battling Hamas, gave the prime minister a staggering 82 percent approval rating.
How did Netanyahu manage to lose 44 points in just one month?
Various other polls have shown that the vast majority of Israelis are frustrated with the repeated failed ceasefires between Israel and Hamas, and want the government to authorize the IDF to destroy or fully debilitate the terror group. These sentiments have only grown stronger as the residents of southern Israel have fled their homes for safer ground.
50 Hospitalized After Morning Rocket Barrage
Hamas and its terrorist allies have fired hundreds of missiles and mortar shells into southern Israel over the past few days. On Tuesday morning alone, southern Israel took more than 50 rockets, one of which scored a direct hit on a residential area in the port city of Ashkelon.
The rocket slammed into a home, and the family living there said it was a miracle they weren’t killed, as there was no time to reach their bomb shelter between hearing the Code Red siren and the moment of impact.
The morning volleys on Ashkelon resulted in 20 lightly wounded Israelis, and another 20–30 people suffering from shock, all of whom were taken to local hospitals for treatment.
A local kindergarten was also hit by one of the rockets, but as school only begins next week, the facility was empty at the time.
Residents of the area and government officials have agreed that the school year will not begin as scheduled in southern Israel.
Another Ceasefire?
Meanwhile, Egypt and Hamas said they were still awaiting Israel’s response to the latest ceasefire proposal put forward by Cairo.
Hamas rejected several earlier Egyptian truce proposals because they failed to hand the terror group any concessions for agreeing to halt its rocket fire on Israel. That Hamas is calling the latest proposal “acceptable” is reason enough for most Israelis to be wary.
Regardless of the deal’s terms, Israel maintains that it will not officially rejoin ceasefire talks under fire. If Egypt and Hamas want the Israeli in Cairo, the Gaza terrorists will first have to stop firing.
The Obama Administration was also reportedly working on its own near ceasefire proposal to be presented to the UN Security Council. While officials declined to comment on the American proposal’s details, it will incorporate elements of an earlier European draft that demanded Hamas be disarmed, and a Jordanian document that was more in line with Hamas demands.
US Secretary of State John Kerry greatly angered most Israelis earlier in the Gaza war when he consulted with Hamas allies Turkey and Qatar in formulating a Gaza truce deal.
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The God Of Abraham, Isaac, And Jacob Regarding Israel
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. ~ Genesis 12:3