Record Number Of Israeli Tanks Amassed On Gaza Border

Major trouble in Gaza while the world's attention is fixed elsewhere.

"All-Out War" Coming: Record Number Of Israeli Tanks Amassed On Gaza Border

Zero Hedge,

19 October, 2018

After months of violence and widespread protests along the Israeli-Gaza border fence, Israeli is quickly ramping up its military presence with a show of force a day after launching deadly airstrikes on Gaza in response to what officials say were two rockets fired from the strip earlier this week.  

Reuters has reported some 60 Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers now stationed at a deployment area along the border as of Thursday, which is the largest reported mustering of forces since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas.

 

On Thursday a Reuters photographer counted some 60 tanks and armored troop carriers at a deployment area near the Gaza Strip. Via Reuters)​​​​​

Special UN envoy for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, told the UN Security Council on Thursday that "we remain on the brink of another potentially devastating conflict, a conflict that nobody claims to want, but a conflict that needs much more than just words to prevent".

One of the rockets launched Wednesday reportedly landed in the sea, however, Israeli officials said it came dangerously close to densely populated Tel Aviv. Hamas, for its part, denied responsibility for the rocket launches and said it would investigate. 

Meanwhile Israel retaliated in Wednesday airstrikes on Gaza, which reportedly killed at least one Palestinian while injuring several more. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu further convened his security cabinet on the same day of the Gaza rocket launches and promised to take "very strong action" if such attacks continued.

 

Israel largest armor deployment since the 2014 war was documented by Reuters this week. 

On Tuesday Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman was quoted as saying, "We must land a strong blow against Hamas. That's the only way to lower the level of violence to zero or close to zero." He said that Israel's response must be harsh "even at a price of moving to a wide-scale confrontation".

Israeli press reports at the end of this week are consistently warning that "Hamas and Israel are one step closer to all-out war" as Israeli tanks and troops continue to muster at the border. 

An Egyptian delegation is reportedly in contact with both sides and are trying to prevent a major conflict from erupting. One Palestinian official involved in talks with the Egyptians told Reuters, "The situation is delicate. No one wants a war."

However, the official described Gaza as at a breaking point: "Palestinian factions are demanding an end to the Israeli blockade that strangled life and business in Gaza," he said. 

UN envoy Mladenov also confirmed before the UN that Gaza's economy is in free fall, with unemployment at a stunning 53% and 70% of Palestinian youth jobless (according to the World Bank), and further the coastal strip of 2 million people is under near total Israeli blockade. "Gaza is imploding. This is not hyperbole. 

This is not alarmism. It is a reality," Mladenov told the UN Security Council.

"Barring substantial steps to reverse the current course, this precarious sense of calm is doomed to give way under the mounting pressure. It is already beginning to fray," he added. 

It appears tensions could explode into yet another round of war starting as early as this weekend. Given the threats of Israeli officials this week, it could slide into the bloodiest campaign in years. 

Israel deploys Tanks, Armor, Seals Gaza with Cement Blocks

HalTurner,

19 October, 2018

Invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israeli Defense Forces is now deemed IMMINENT.

The Israeli Security Cabinet met Wednesday for many hours and when the meeting ended, even my former colleagues who provide me with Covert Intelligence could not get information.   That has now changed.

The Israeli Cabinet has approved a change in the "Rules of Engagement" for the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) pertaining to the weekly riots and arson/missile attacks emanating from Gaza.  The new policy: ZERO TOLERANCE.

Israel deploying "many" tanks

In support of the planned response, Israel is deploying Tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers (APC's) to the area surrounding the Gaza Strip. A photographer reports seeing at least 60 IDF tanks and APC’s gathered at one location on the Gaza border

The video below shows to extent to which heavy armor has been built-up. One does not move this type of equipment into the field unless one intends to use it IMMINENTLY.

The area around the Gaza Strip has now been declared a "Closed Military Zone" and is being sealed-off with large cement blocks.

New batteries of Iron Dome missile Defense systems are being hastily installed in many cities in central Israel as seen in the photo below:

  

There is widespread expectation by the civilian population of vast missile barrages coming from Gaza WITHIN HOURS of the publication of this story.

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman presented a plan to initiate a harsh response against Hamas. At the same time, the IDF, with the encouragement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, presented another plan whereby response would be according to what was happening on the ground and only if the terrorist organizations tried to attack Israel.

Either way, events involving Israel and the Gaza Strip are believed to be "going hot" within HOURS.

All Egyptian Flags flown by homes or businesses inside Gaza, have suddenly been taken down. Not known why.

Arab media in Gaza is publicly calling for all Gazans to participate in protests Friday.

Israel is 7 hours ahead of the US east coast, and events are expected to kick-off after daily prayers later today.

Young people inside Gaza have been conducting what they call "night diversion" by burning tires, firing lasers in an effort to blind Israeli troops from seeing anything taking place inside Gaza.

AIRLINES BEING RE-ROUTED

Ben Gurion Airport has been ORDERED to change landing routes due to situation:

My former colleagues in the Intelligence Community have directly told me to "The people in Gaza are not backing down.  The Israelis are not backing down.  Today is the day.  Expect war to break out later today."

These men do not generally talk this way.  For them to say those words to me is an incredible thing.  

Take them at their word.

LIVE UPDATES FROM 9:59 AM EDT --

 

Hamas denies the reports that rioters are being told to stay away from the Gaza border fence. They said the border fence will 'burn' today. 

The protests officially started at 3:30 PM Israel local time (7 hours ahead of US east coast) so things are already beginning there as this update appears in the USA. Reports that 10,000 rioters are already arriving towards the Gaza border fence

Hamas and Islamic Jihad have reportedly raised their alert status to the "third degree"

 ***** First death being reported on the Gaza border near Khan Younis.*****

Egyptian officials are urging Hamas to immediately stop all the border marches. 

IDF is setting up mobile bomb shelters near Gaza.
 

 Large amount of explosives: IEDs, Gernades being thrown at Israeli soldiers on the Gaza border. Explosions are heard constantly.

UPDATE 11:29 AM EDT --

Over 15,000 currently rioting on the Gaza border. Over 100 grenades and IED’s have been thrown so far. Multiple infiltrations and damage to the security fence, with some IDF equipment stolen from a military position and an IDF vehicle damaged by an IED.