Thursday 7 April 2011

Missiles, school-children, and foul mouthed footballers

A short time ago, several missiles, possibly mortar shells or anti-tank missiles were fired across the border from Gaza into Israel. A school bus was targeted, and at this point one child is critically injured, and the driver of the bus injured lightly. An amateur video of the damage to the bus is shown below. There is no commentary. None, in truth, is necessary. 
Luckily, if one can call it that, approximately fifty other school-children had alighted from the bus only moments before. 



As usual, the BBC news website opens its report with "Israel shells Gaza City", whilst the news hasn't yet made it onto television. Wayne Rooney's suspension is apparently more important.

2 comments:

Robin said...

I find the idea of indiscriminate rockets being fired into anywhere repellant. Targeting a school bus is more than repellant



that said I now have to ask about the rockets being fired. As I understand thing there are several hundred fired each year yet few hit a target. I wonder at the rockets bing used and how you can say what is being targeted?

My intention here is not to cause controversy but to show my ignorance. As a fairly average English man, I am trying to show how little I actually know about Israel. I know I can research and find answers to any question I might raise but I want to demonstrate how little the rest of us actually know about what is going on around the world.

I'm ignorant but willing to learn.

Aryeh said...

Robin,
Apologies for the delayed reply. The first rockets used against Israel were scuds, way back in the first Gulf War. Despite them being military grade - they, thankfully, and possibly miraculously, caused very little damage.
The first rockets used from Gaza were crude "home made" devices as described in the media. The home-made bit basically meant that they had no war-heads on them. Over the years the missiles have become military grade (mainly from Iran's military), as well as mortar shells, anti-tank missiles, RPGs and various others. They have warheads, are real explosive devices, and the only thing at the moment that some of them are missing is an accurate guidance system. They are still deadly.
The fact that up until now the loss of life on the Israeli side has been relatively low is nothing short of a miracle.
I, for one, hope that miracle continues.