Gaza Truce Shaky at Best as Rocketry Continues

The latest truce came to the Gaza Strip on Thursday, but the commensurate halt in hostility was a lot slower in catching up with the latest news. The Iron Dome anti-missile defense system intercepted an Israel-bound rocket fired from Gaza as thousands of Israelis were sent running to the safety of the bomb shelters and protected rooms. Gaza residents were less fortunate in finding cover, most notably the deaths of a family of seven, including five children, who were killed before the ceasefire. The latest flare-up of violence was actually a war between Israel and Islamic Jihad, the principal terrorist organization after Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip. Israel’s policy is to hold Hamas accountable for any violent act emanating from Gaza by virtue of its self-declared status. Islamic Jihad seeks to justify its acceptance of the ceasefire by claiming it has won compensation from Israel. The group says Israel has agreed to end the assassinations of terrorist leaders.