The last time Israel and armed Palestinian groups in Gaza fought a war in 2014, militants fired 4,000 rockets at Israel over the 49-day conflict.
Since the latest flare-up of violence led to rocket fire on Monday evening, over 1,000 were fired in just 48 hours.
Netanyahu has been placed in a situation where he must respond with firmness, or risk looking weak
Palestinian militants in Gaza appeared to be firing at Israel at as much as four times the average rate of the previous conflict, which stood out for its intensity and led to a ground invasion and 2,300 dead in the strip – mostly civilians – as well as six civilians in Israel and 70 soldiers.
People in Gaza have reported intense bombardments from Israel that eclipse the 2014 conflict or other skirmishes since.
The Israeli military has released fewer details on the number of airstrikes carried out than it has about the numbers of rockets fired towards Israel. But as of Wednesday afternoon, it said that 500 airstrikes had hit the coastal enclave.
That puts it at about 166 air strikes a day into the densely populated area – roughly the same frequency as during the 2014 conflict.
The death toll in Gaza on Wednesday rose to 53 Palestinians, including 14 children and three women, according to the Health Ministry.
More than 300 people have been wounded, including 86 children and 39 women.
Six people in Israel, including three women and a child, have been killed by rocket fire and dozens of people were wounded.
Even at a comparable rate of fire to 2014, the Israeli airstrikes are nonetheless intense and the number of strikes does not account for size and type of munitions being used.
Recent videos from Gaza showed the impact of Israeli strikes, with whole areas of a main streets engulfed in fire and debris.
Videos uploaded to social media on Tuesday night showed scores of rockets and Israeli "Iron Dome" missile interceptors lighting up the night sky over the Gaza-Israel border.
On Tuesday night, an Israeli strike brought down a multi-storey building that the military said housed Hamas offices.
Shock and awe
During the 2014 conflict, Israel opened the conflict with barrages of very heavy air attacks – applying a tactic derived from the US dubbed "shock and awe". The move aimed to stun the opposition into submission.
But, it seemed to have limited effect and a bloody ground invasion followed within 10 days as the army decided that militants would have to be uprooted from tunnel complexes and other hidden positions.
The Israeli army has hinted that another ground incursion is not off the table today either.
Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, on Wednesday said two infantry brigades had been sent to the Gaza border area.
Michael Stephens, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, warned that a ground war could be inevitable.
"Netanyahu has been placed in a situation where he must respond with firmness, or risk looking weak. As a result the IDF will have to enter Gaza and go in hard. After 1000 rockets being fired into Israel, there is no chance that they will not carry out an operation," he says.
Compared to 2014, the escalation over the last week appears to have caught Israel less well prepared – forcing the military to cancel a massive month-long training exercise and recall and divert units.
Defence Minister Benny Gantz warned on Wednesday that the Israeli military “will continue to attack and bring complete and long-term peace”.
Operation Protective Edge
The last war, dubbed Operation Protective Edge by Israel, began on July 8, 2014, with the Israelis attacking 223 targets in Gaza, continuing the next day with another 326 raids, according to a report from the US defence think tank Rand.
That soon tailed off to an average of 190 per day, to a total of 1,700 targets hit during the 50 day campaign.
But Joe Truzman, an analyst at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, warned that the high intensity in the first few days did not mean the current violence would be shorter.
In 2014, Hamas and other groups went on for over a month firing rockets, [but] there’s a lot of reports already that they’re back to their 2014 levels of rocket stockpiles,” he said.
“They may have even more rockets now or rather, more accurate rockets. So, that's a huge issue. They can go on for quite some time."
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
The%20Sandman
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Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYodawy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarim%20Khashaba%2C%20Sherief%20El-Feky%20and%20Yasser%20AbdelGawad%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2424.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlgebra%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20MEVP%20and%20Delivery%20Hero%20Ventures%2C%20among%20others%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20500%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gulf rugby
Who’s won what so far in 2018/19
Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain
What’s left
UAE Conference
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers
March 29, final
UAE Premiership
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes
March 29, final
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
