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“Other critics have speculated that the kidnappings were a false flag set-up by Israel on their own countrymen in order to weaken and de-ligitimize the new Palestinian unity government between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, which is heavily opposed by Netanyahu. “
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Israel has authorized calling 40,000 reserve troops for active ground duty as the government considers a ground invasion of Gaza.
Israel has been bombing Gaza since June 29th in heavy airstrikes, in response to rockets shot across the border by Hamas. Israel is vowing to stamp out rocket attacks with more bombs and has ruled out a cease-fire at this time.
Here is a synopsis of how this current mess got started:
Three Israeli teenage boys were reported kidnapped on June 12, 2014 in the West Bank. Their bodies were discovered on June 30th. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu immediately blamed Hamas, even though the incident occurred near the West Bank which is governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA), not Hamas. Hamas operates in Gaza.
Netanyahu said that Hamas would pay. Hamas denied the charges of kidnapping the boys. Israel has failed to present specific evidence against Hamas.
There was no strategic benefit for Hamas to kill the three Israeli boys.
Israel censored the media from reporting on a phone call from the boys the night that they went missing.
Israeli police received a phone call from 16-year-old Gilad Shaar, one of the kidnapped boys, on June 12th. The call was recorded and gunshots could be heard in the background after the abductor told them to put their heads down. The police claim that they thought the call was a prank.
Why would Israel ban the media from reporting on the phone call that indicated the boys were dead?
Critics say that Israel used the opportunity over the next 18 days before the bodies were discovered to arrest more than 400 Palestinians and to conduct aggressive searches on 1300 sites, including homes in the West Bank. Five Palestinians were reported to have been killed during the search operation.
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