Dozens hurt in series of terrorist attacks in southern Israel - Polidicks

[release]Armed gunmen fire on two buses traveling near Eilat; IDF, gunmen trade fire near the scene of the incidents; mortars fired from Egyptian border. By Anshel Pfeffer, Revital Levy-Stein, Yanir Yagna and Haaretz Tags: Eilat Israel terrorism Dozens of people were hurt on Thursday after terrorists opened fire on two buses that were traveling in southern Israel near the city of Eilat. In addition to the shooting attacks on the buses, mortars were fired from the Egyptian border. The first attack was on a bus traveling from Beer Sheva to Eilat, near the city of Netafim. Shortly after the bus attack, IDF forces engaged in a shootout with the armed men near the scene of incident. Egged bus 392 that was damaged in the shooting attack, August 18, 2011. Photo by: Channel 2 Initial reports indicate that the shooting came from a car that was following Egged bus 392, traveling on Route 12 in southern Israel. According to reports, the passengers in the car opened fire at the bus, which held many soldiers returning from their bases. Israeli security forces searched for the suspected vehicle and set up barricades in the area, and once they caught up with the vehicle a shootout between IDF forces and the gunmen erupted. Two IDF helicopters were called to the scene in order to evacuate those wounded to Yoseftal hospital in Eilat. Magen David Adom director told Army Radio that those wounded are all in light to moderate condition and remain conscious, and assured that the incident is under control. Security forces are investigating whether the incident was a terrorist attack. This story is developing[/release] Source: [url]http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/dozens-hurt-in-series-of-terrorist-attacks-in-southern-israel-1.379309[/url] This is still going on at the moment, and I hear that there is a possibility another terrorist attack went down in Beersheba, where I live. I'll try and update the OP if it gets confirmed. According to another Israeli news website, there is currently one confirmed dead and 20 injured, out of them 5 are critically wounded. [b]Update[/b] Currently 7 confirmed dead, and at least 30 injured. The combined terrorist attacks started at 12:00 AM, when several terrorists opened fire on a civilian bus, and later on shot on several cars and another bus. Shortly after that, an IED was detonated near a group of soldiers coming to the area of the shooting. As a result of that, several soldiers were injured. After that, several mortars were fired towards routine maintenance work on the fence near the border with Egypt, with no confirmed casualties as a result. The terrorist event ended after the terrorist squad was captured on road 12, and in the heavy firefight between the terrorists and SWAT teams 7 terrorists died. It is estimated that about 20 terrorists in total participated in the attack. On several of the bodies explosive charges were found. [b]Second Update[/b] [release]Gunfire began during a press conference by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF chief Benny Gantz, at the scene of the attacks. By Haaretz Tags: IDF Gaza Strip Ehud Barak Palestinians Two people were critically wounded Thursday evening when gunfire erupted close to the site of a deadly series of terror attacks earlier in the day in which seven people had been killed. The gunfire began during a press conference by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF chief Benny Gantz, at the scene of the attacks. IDF troops patrolling in the area of a series of terror attacks that left at least seven people dead, August 18, 2011. Photo by: AP The seven were killed and dozens more were wounded in an apparently coordinated series of gun attacks and artillery strikes approximately 20 kilometers north of the southern city of Eilat, close to the border with Egypt. A short time before the renewed gunfire, IDF aircraft struck targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least six people, including a senior Palestinian militant. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday that Israel would respond to the attacks in an appropriate manner.[/release] Source: [url]http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/two-gravely-hurt-in-shooting-hours-after-attacks-in-israel-kill-seven-1.379397[/url] [b]Third update[/b] A grad rocket was fired towards the City of Ashkelon. Iron dome successfully intercepted it.

Fucking terrorists.

Why can't we all just be friends? :smith:

[quote]Security forces are investigating whether the incident was a terrorist attack.[/quote] Gee i wonder what it was.

I have a feeling that Israel is gonna retilate real over the top haha

[QUOTE=Stormcharger;31801541]I have a feeling that Israel is gonna retilate real over the top haha[/QUOTE] Lets not start this man

[QUOTE=Stormcharger;31801541]I have a feeling that Israel is gonna retilate real over the top haha[/QUOTE] That is not a sentence that should be followed with "haha".

[QUOTE=AwpersAreBad;31801580]That is not a sentence that should be followed with "haha".[/QUOTE] No...but he might just still be saying the truth

[QUOTE=Canned Induvidual;31802129]No...but he might just still be saying the truth[/QUOTE] Everything is 'over the top' in the Middle East. They don't do things by halves.

[QUOTE=AwpersAreBad;31801580]That is not a sentence that should be followed with "haha".[/QUOTE] Im sorry im really tied an I just have a bad habit on putting haha on the ends of sentences.

Was it like a tourist bus or what?

[QUOTE=Marbalo;31802751]Also I find it totally pathetic how when things like this happen in Israel literally nobody cares nor even replies to these threads yet when it happens in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes (who actually take out terrorists mortaring Israel) people throw a huge hissyfit and are so quick to throw these accusations of it being Nazi Germany 2.0 Stay classy facepunch.[/QUOTE] nice persecution complex you have going there

[QUOTE=JDK721;31802867]nice persecution complex you have going there[/QUOTE] Going to be honest, what he says is kind of true. I'm starting to suspect a large portion of Facepunch is anti-semitic.

[QUOTE=Marbalo;31802751]Also I find it totally pathetic how when things like this happen in Israel literally nobody cares nor even replies to these threads yet when it happens in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes (who actually take out terrorists mortaring Israel) people throw a huge hissyfit and are so quick to throw these accusations of it being Nazi Germany 2.0 Stay classy facepunch.[/QUOTE] The reason people protest against it is because Israel end up killing more innocent civillians than actual HAMAS nutcases.

I wouldn't say anti-semitic, I would just say they're being dick heads about it

[QUOTE=Marbalo;31803069]It wouldn't even be that big a deal if it weren't for the amount of agrees that guy got that accused Israel of doing "genocide, but slowly". In which case the same can be blamed on the entirety of NATO who partake in different operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. [/QUOTE] There are major differences between operations NATO partake in Iraq and Afghanistan and the actions Israel commits. Along with the targets and amount of casualties Israel produces, there are other factors that weigh into that analogy that is completely inapplicable to NATO e.g. the blockade on Gaza, human rights.

[QUOTE=Stormcharger;31801541]I have a feeling that Israel is gonna retilate real over the top haha[/QUOTE] Yet again. Kill some innocent people. Yet again...

[QUOTE=Marbalo;31803396]Exactly, you're reinforcing my point. I've meant that it's completely and utterly misinformed to blame Israeli for gradual genocide, and if the same ridiculous logic can be applied to other instances it could easily be applied foolishly to the Iraq War, which yielded approximately 100,000 [I]civilian[/I] deaths alone in a time span of 7 years. In layman's terms, if you're going to accuse Israel of genocide then why not accuse NATO of the same exact thing? They're basically doing identical things. Fighting terrorist organizations.[/QUOTE] I seem to remember there was a huge public outcry over Iraq... certainly much bigger than over Israel, and also that NATO has now pulled the vast majority of its combat soldiers out of Iraq, while Israels occupation and systematic suppression is still ongoing, as it has been for the past few decades.

I can already hear the missiles hitting targets in Gaza as we speak.

[QUOTE=Stormcharger;31801541]I have a feeling that Israel is gonna retilate real over the top haha[/QUOTE]Thread went to shit at this point.

Well, fuck. If there were any hopes of peace talks with Gaza, even if this wasn't their doing or anyone close to them, Israel will go on lockdown after this.

[QUOTE=Sexy Eskimo;31804895]I can already hear the missiles hitting targets in Gaza as we speak.[/QUOTE] Israel never use missiles to hit targets. They use aircraft. Update to the OP- Currently 7 confirmed dead, and at least 30 injured. The combined terrorist attacks started at 12:00 AM, when several terrorists opened fire on a civilian bus, and later on several cars and another bus. Shortly after that, an IED was detonated near a group of soldiers coming to the area of the shooting. As a result of that, several soldiers were injured. After that, several mortars were fired towards routine maintenance work on the fence near the border with Egypt, with no confirmed casualties as a result. The terrorist event ended after the terrorist squad was captured on road 12, and in the heavy firefight between the terrorists and SWAT teams 7 terrorists died. It is estimated that about 20 terrorists in total participated in the attack. On several of the bodies explosive charges were found. [editline]18th August 2011[/editline] [b]Another Update[/b] Two more people dead, after a second event in Israel. According to media, "IDF aircraft struck targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least six people, including a senior Palestinian militant. "

[QUOTE=Marbalo;31802751]Also I find it totally pathetic how when things like this happen in Israel literally nobody cares nor even replies to these threads yet when it happens in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes (who actually take out terrorists mortaring Israel) people throw a huge hissyfit and are so quick to throw these accusations of it being Nazi Germany 2.0 Stay classy facepunch.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=lukepker;31801454]Fucking terrorists.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Van-man;31801506]Why can't we all just be friends? :smith:[/QUOTE] Because nobody cares. That bias exists for a reason, but much sympathy anyway

[URL]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14577593[/URL] [QUOTE][B]The Israeli military has confirmed carrying out air strikes over the Gaza Strip following a series of deadly attacks in southern Israel.[/B] At least six people, including a senior militant, were killed in the air strikes, Palestinian sources said. Earlier, Israeli officials promised a strong response after attacks on vehicles near Eilat left seven dead. Israeli officials said Gazan militants were responsible, although Gaza's Hamas government denied involvement. Palestinian sources told the BBC that four members of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), a faction in Gaza that is loyal to Hamas but sometimes operates separately, had been killed in the air strikes. These included Kamal al-Nairab, the group's top commander, they said. Palestinian sources, also quoted by Reuters, said two people had been killed in a house in Rafah after Israeli drones - often used for air strikes - were heard overhead. The attacks earlier in the day near the southern Israeli city of Eilat began when gunmen opened fire on a bus. Israeli officials said two other vehicles were then hit nearby - one by a rocket and one by an explosive device. They said that the attacks left seven Israelis dead and that a number of gunmen were killed in an ensuing firefight. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "grave incident". Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said earlier: "The real source of the terror is in Gaza and we will act against them with full force and determination." The US, the EU and the UN condemned the attacks in Israel. [B]"We condemn the brutal terrorist attacks in southern Israel today in the strongest terms," the White House said in a statement.[/B] A UN spokesman said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was "concerned at the risk of escalation and calls for all to act with restraint". Israeli officials said the men who attacked the vehicles near Eilat had came from the Gaza Strip and had entered Israel through Egypt's Sinai desert. There has been growing concern about a decline in security in Sinai since Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February. "This violence only underscores our strong concerns about the security situation in the Sinai Peninsula," said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "Recent commitments by the Egyptian government to address the security situation in the Sinai are important and we urge the Egyptian government to find a lasting resolution." [/QUOTE]

A Grad rocket was fired at the city of Ashkelon. Iron dome intercepted the rocket.

[QUOTE=Marbalo;31803396]Exactly, you're reinforcing my point. I've meant that it's completely and utterly misinformed to blame Israeli for gradual genocide, and if the same ridiculous logic can be applied to other instances it could easily be applied foolishly to the Iraq War, which yielded approximately 100,000 [I]civilian[/I] deaths alone in a time span of 7 years. In layman's terms, if you're going to accuse Israel of genocide then why not accuse NATO of the same exact thing? They're basically doing identical things. Fighting terrorist organizations.[/QUOTE] I'll take the freedom to accuse both the Israeli government and NATO for disrespect of civilian lives. Terrorism needs to be fighted but using violence against civilians is counter-productive, because it makes the civilian population more likely to support the terrorists, thus making them stronger.

[url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/18/israel-air-strikes-gaza-eilat-attacks[/url] [quote]Within hours the Israelis had made good on their promise, killing up to six Palestinians in an air strike on Rafah, the Gaza town next to the border with Egypt. The dead were said to include the commander of the Popular Resistance Committee, Abu Awad Neirab.[/quote] I'm sure this wasn't rushed unnecessarily or anything.

[QUOTE=Canned Induvidual;31802129]No...but he might just still be saying the truth[/QUOTE] i doubt israel is going to retaliate in any way that has them threatening israel. gaza is an easy target for them and they feel they are in the right doing it, but there is a big difference between pushing around the palestinians and trying to push around egypt. [editline]18th August 2011[/editline] oh wow i should have read the thread im still technically right. i dont see what justification israel has to be attacking gaza though considering the attacks were from egypt.

[QUOTE=Exploits;31807250][url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/18/israel-air-strikes-gaza-eilat-attacks[/url] I'm sure this wasn't rushed unnecessarily or anything.[/QUOTE] The current policy of the Israeli government is to strike right after an event has occurred. It might be stupid sometimes, but don't blame me, I didn't make it up.

[QUOTE=Ond kaja;31806774]I'll take the freedom to accuse both the Israeli government and NATO for disrespect of civilian lives. Terrorism needs to be fighted but using violence against civilians is counter-productive, because it makes the civilian population more likely to support the terrorists, thus making them stronger.[/QUOTE] Counter productive? It's hypcrisy. Terrorism is terrorism, even if it's committed by a military state and not a rag-tag band of assholes. [editline]18th August 2011[/editline] What I'm saying is Israel is as terrorist as the people they claim to fight. Except Israel's terrorism they let slide.