Hamas Terror Assaults on Israel

All,

It is early days and I'll be adding more as information continues to come in from Israel. However, casualties on both sides are high and rising (current reports indicate that more than 600 Israelis have been killed and 2000+ wounded. Palestinian casualties in Gaze are high, with estimates of 400 killed and 1500 wounded). 

In addition to more than 2,500 indiscriminate rocket attacks, Hamas has conducted multiple terror assaults, not just on the Israeli government, police, and military facilities and personnel but also on the civilian population. The results have caused the deaths, injuries, and the taking of an estimated 100 hostages, including women, children, and older Israelis. 

The Internet videos of the Hamas attacks are very disturbing and I would caution against viewing them. This is an all-out war on civilians and the many videos now on the Internet are more than distressing and will undoubtedly get worse. 

Many in the Media are comparing this attack to the combined military assaults of Egypt and Syria in the 1973 Yom Kippur War because of the failure of Israeli intelligence to predict the 1973 invasions and the apparent failure to predict the current Hamas terror attacks (See the attached WSJ article). The determination of who is at fault for this intelligence failure, if past examples like Pearl Harbor and 9/11 are a guide, will go on for years.

In the shorter term expect US military supplies, which are stretched because of our support for the Ukrainians (see the attached article from Defense News), to be offered to Israel, which will further strain our supply chains and make it more imperative that Congress authorize the funding necessary to reconstitute of our military stockpiles.

Congressional inaction damages both Ukrainian and US militaries

After Attack, Israel Wrestles With Question: How Could This Happen?