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Daybreak: Rockets Continue Despite Drop-off

Progress made on ceasefire, but distance remains

by
Adam Chandler
November 19, 2012
An Israeli Family Takes Cover Near Ashdod(NYT)
An Israeli Family Takes Cover Near Ashdod(NYT)

Roughly 65 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel today with Iron Dome intercepting almost half of them. Ashkelon, Eshkol, and Ashdod have come under the most severe fire. The total number of rockets represent a steep decline from previous days, notably yesterday when 120 rockets where fired into Israel, including two long-range Iranian-made Fajr 5 missiles, which were shot at Tel Aviv but intercepted by Iron Dome. Over Sunday night, sources report that at least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrike, bringing the death toll up to about 90.

Sources are reporting that the two sides–goaded by international pressure–have made progress on a ceasefire, but remain unable to agree a few issues, which are rumored to be the end of the Gaza blockade by Israel and the disarming of terrorist groups in Gaza.

• Anshel Pfeffer writes on the many ways that Operation Pillar of Defense, despite its basic similarities, is different from the Operation Cast Lead–Israel’s campaign against Hamas in the winter of 2008/2009. [Haaretz]

• An Israeli perspective on why a ground invasion of Gaza should be avoided and what steps the Israeli government should have considered prior to starting Operation Pillar of Defense. [JPS]

• A look at the responses of various major media sources that inaccurately reported that a four-year-old Palestinian boy in Gaza was killed by an Israeli airstrike. As it turns out, a Hamas missile fell short, taking two lives. [EoZ]

• The Guardian has an interactive map showing each confirmed incident of violence and rocket fire since Operation Pillar of Defense began on Wednesday. [Guardian]

• A slightly macabre, humorous look at social etiquette during missile sirens in Tel Aviv. [9GAG]

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.