The Economist: WITH a hat-tip to Harper’s Magazine, which invented this kind of index, here are some enlightening numbers regarding the fighting in Gaza, as of 8.00am GMT on November 19th.
Number of Israelis killed by fire from Gaza between January 1st 2012 and November 11th 2012: 1
(Source: Wikipedia)
Number of Palestinians in Gaza killed by Israeli fire during the same period: 78
(Source:Â United Nations)
Number of Israelis killed by fire from Gaza, November 13th-19th 2012: 3
(Source: press reports)
Number of Palestinians in Gaza killed by Israeli fire, November 13th-19th:Â 95
(Source: IDF)
Number of those killed in Gaza under 15 years of age: 19
(Source)
Total number of Israelis killed by rocket, mortar or anti-tank fire from Gaza since 2006: 47
(Source: Wikipedia. This is disputed; another source says 26)
Number of Palestinians in Gaza killed by Israeli fire from April 1st 2006 to July 21st 2012:Â 2,879
(Source:Â United Nations)
Number of Egyptian schoolchildren killed when a train hit their bus on November 17th 2012: 53
(Source: press reports)
Number of people killed in traffic accidents in Israel in 2011: 384
(Source: Wikipedia)
Number of Syrians killed in fighting between November 13th-19th 2012:Â 646
(Source: Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR)Â
Estimated deaths in Syria since beginning of unrest in March 2011:Â 40,000
(Source: SOHR)
Estimated deaths from all Israeli-Arab wars between 1945 and 1995: 92,000
(Source: Wikipedia)
Number of targets in Gaza struck by Israel, November 13th-19th: 1,350
(Source: IDF)
Number of projectiles fired at Israel from Gaza from November 13th-19th, 2012: 848Â
(Source: IDF)
Number that did not fall in “open areas”: 35
(Source: IDF)
Number intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system: 302
(Source: IDF)
Percentage of projectiles targeted by Iron Dome shot down, as claimed by Israeli military:Â 80-85%
(Source: IDF)
Reported cost in dollars of one interceptor missile fired by Iron Dome:Â 62,000
(Source:Â Ha’aretz)
Estimated cost in dollars of one short-range Qassam missile built in Gaza workshop: 800
(Source: News reports)
Cost in dollars of one Iron Dome battery; Israel has deployed five and plans 13 in total:Â 50m
(Source: AFP)
Number of kilos explosive equivalent in payload of Iranian-supplied Fajr-5 longer-range rocket deployed by Hamas: 90 (200lb)
(Source: Wikipedia)
Number of kilos explosive equivalent of Israel Military Industry’s MPR-500 advanced-penetration precision-guided bomb: 900 (2,000lb)
(Source)
Area in square kilometres of Gaza: 365 (141 square miles)
Area in square kilometres of Israel: 20,700 (7,992 square miles)
Population of Gaza: 1.7m
Number of Israelis within range of Fajr-5 missiles: 3.5m
(Source: IDF)
Jewish population of Israel/ under Israeli jurisdiction (ie including West Bank settlements): 5.9m
(Source)
Non-Jewish population under Israeli jurisdiction (ie including Gaza and West Bank): 6.1m
(Source)
Per capita GDP of Israel in 2011, in dollars: 31,000
(Source: Wikipedia)
Per Capita GDP of Gaza in 2011, in dollars: 1,483
(Source)
Verse of Exodus containing the phrase “Pillar of Cloudâ€, the official codename for Israel’s current Gaza operation: 13:21
Verse of the Koran containing the phrase “Stones of Clayâ€, Hamas’s codename for its current operations: 105:4
Number of days before Israeli general election: 64
This is great work.
Interesting question i have for you:
Did hamas thank iran publicly for it’s millitary
To just extend appretiation or was it part of the deal to
Publically provide evidence iran supports terrorism
To those who classify h amas as a terrorista group?
In 2006, Israel showed policy makers in Washington that they no longer are able to project power beyond their immediate borders when they failed to defeat Hezbollah. And worse yet, They may even been confined to their internal conflicts.
This past week, Israel showed its own citizens that security cannot be guaranteed by the use of muscle, and that a conflict with Iran would provide an opportunity for a full facial rearrangement of Israel. Fajr-5, and old Iranian unguided missile, brought terror to Telaviv.
I think we may be entering a phase where, by much soul searching, Israelis will rush to embrace the Palestinians and deal may actually be nearer that most of us expect. Why? Fear! Fear of Iran.
Hamas just announced it wants to extend its military cooperation with Iran. And if the news out of Bloomberg carries any truth, Sudan has just made a major military deal with Iran where they would receive much assistance including Shahab-3’s. Next time Israel hits Sudan illegally it may be surprised with what Sudan will hit her back.
I think the region may be reaching military parity (somewhat), and that is always and the only way humans come to the table and actually negotiate. Sad but true.