Israel's airstrikes and its hidden agendas

Israel has a hidden agenda in the recent attacks on Gaza, said academician and analyst Dr Chandra Muzaffar.

The International Movement for a Just World (JUST) president said Israel is using the attacks to prevent closer unity between Hamas and Fatah, who recently have agreed to reconcile under a unity administration.

Chandra said the attacks which intensified since Tuesday, were not merely to revenge the death of the three Israeli teenagers.

“Israel is somewhat ‘frightened’ by the air strike launched by Hamas. Even though there are no deaths among the Israelis, the air strike has proved that the unity between Hamas and Fatah will and can be materialised and this is what the Israelis feared the most – when Palestinians unite with the other Arab region”, he said when contacted.

He said the strike is also seen as Israel’s hidden agenda to come back and conquer Gaza despite the Israel's disengagement from Gaza in 2005.

“Despite the Israel's disengagement from Gaza in 2005, it is a known fact that they still rule the sea, land and air ways of the Gaza strip. And knowing that Hamas is slowly and surely taking over Gaza and that they are getting stronger obviously brings more worry to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hence the bloody attacks”, said Chandra.

He said it is apparent that Israel is somewhat ‘threatened’ by Hamas’s bold air strikes and that the fight back is merely its defense mechanism.

Dozens of strikes were heard slamming into the besieged Palestinian territory in the early hours of Thursday, as Israel's Operation Protective Edge, the largest military campaign against Gaza since 2012, entered day three.

On Wednesday, 29 Palestinians were killed, and Tuesday's toll stood at 21, bringing the total number of dead to 64.

The dead include at least 10 women and 18 children, according to an AFP count based on medical reports.