By Vestnik Kavkaza
12 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza. According to ITAR-TASS, they were killed by a strike by the Israeli Defense Forces at the refugee camp in Deir al Balah. According to medical services of the Palestinian seafront enclave, 3600 people were injured. The press service of the Israeli Army reported that since July 17th 1388 targets in Gaza have been attacked and 183 terrorists of Hamas killed.
The Israeli Forces have lost 27 soldiers during the six days of the land phase of the operation. 123 soldiers have been injured. The Israeli mass media reports that one in seven soldiers of the Golani elite unite, who were killed during an attack on an Israeli armored vehicle in Gaza, is thought to be missing.
Vladimir Yevseyev, Director of the Center of Socio-Political Studies, told Vestnik Kavkaza that “Israel exaggerates the effectiveness of force. A great number of peaceful residents die, they have nothing in common with Hamas or any other organizations which are thought to be radical. From this point of view, Israel creates the conditions for a humanitarian disaster for all Gaza, where 1.5 people live.”
Yevseyev doesn’t understand what Israel wants: “If it wants to create a problem, i.e. a humanitarian disaster, and then to solve it, in this case it should understand at whose expense it will do it. The events in Lebanon, attempts to destroy Hezbollah are natural developments for Israel. But this is a path to a deadlock. It won’t take Israel to peace.”
According to Yevseyev, this path will create ever newer problems: “Relatives of people who were killed will try to take revenge on Israelis. Thus, apparently the struggle against Israel will increase. It can be continued not only in Gaza, but also on the West Bank of the River Jordan. It is not a way to peace, but a way to confrontation. The fact that Tel Aviv chose the way of confrontation indicates the weakness of Israel, its inability to settle the problem peacefully. Gaza is not Lebanon, there is no tactical depth. I think the international community should react faster, otherwise the number of victims will be in the thousands. And the humanitarian disaster will be real.”
