Israel invades the gaza strip.

This seems/feels so much more important than the tit-for-tat skirmishes (simplifying) that occur every once in awhile between the two sides. I am not finding much in depth news coverage on the subject, or real alarm bells aside from the market plunge earlier in the day. Am I exaggerating the threat? I feel like the South Ossetia battle between Georgia and Russia netted more attention and its outcome had far fewer global consequences.

This seems/feels so much more important than the tit-for-tat skirmishes (simplifying) that occur every once in awhile between the two sides. I am not finding much in depth news coverage on the subject, or real alarm bells aside from the market plunge earlier in the day. Am I exaggerating the threat? I feel like the South Ossetia battle between Georgia and Russia netted more attention and its outcome had far fewer global consequences.

It's because the region is more volatile than it already is with the Arab Springs happening a few months ago, and Syria still in a civil war.

Either that or we're annoyed Israel and Palestine or fighting for the upteenth time.

The question is simple: will Iran come to Hamas' aid?

Iran might not have nuclear bombs yet, but they do have chemical and biological weapons, and missiles that can carry them to Israel and beyond (i.e., parts of Europe and Asia). If they decide to join this war, and not just as Hamas' suppliers, things could escalate very far indeed.

If Iran stays out, however, it will remain a local thing, like the 2006 war and various other attempts by Israel to get Hamas to stop its missile attacks. The world will collectively shake its head at these kids who can't learn to share, and go on its merry way.

If Iran backs Hamas and uses WMDs then it really will be WWIII

I'm overwhelmed with dread and fear right now. I spent my last summer in Israel and got a glimpse of the tension that exists there but above all else I'm worried about my loved ones. I don't know what to think or expect in terms of how far this could escalate. I want the violence to end. I want my family (and everyone honestly) to be safe and to FEEL safe. I was just starting to plan my next trip there for this Winter but now my fiance is telling me I shouldn't come. I can't imagine what it's like for those who have already lost loved ones... I honestly can't think of a single way that this could end well and that alone terrifies me.

Oh boy we're going to see some angry BBC articles.

Everyone in Israel and Palestine needs to smoke a bong together.

But seriously, my user title. Peace and love, please! Why is that so hard?

Well, according to the article it began when a Hamas commander was killed, so Gaza fired rockets into Israel kiliing 3, to which Israel responded by killing ~20 Palestinians just now, to which Gaza will respond by firing even more rockets.

I don't even want to begin describing what happened before this chain =/.

http://blog.livenewschat.tv/al-jazeera-news-chat/

The leader of Hamas went live for the first time after the military leader was killed...The way he talked, all hell's about to break lose.

Oh boy we're going to see some angry BBC articles.

If we do, then they aren't doing a good job of reporting objectively.

I've been reading about this everywhere. Really seems like this has a high chance of escalating.

If Iran backs Hamas and uses WMDs then it really will be WWIII

Sounds more like Mid-East War to me.

Oh boy we're going to see some angry BBC articles.

Ugh that just hit hard in the gut. That's so sad

Oh boy we're going to see some angry BBC articles.

That's a bit heartbreaking.

Sounds more like Mid-East War to me.

Israel and the United States are major allies, both with nuclear capabilities. Israel is the only democratic country in the Middle East, which gives the U.S. incentive to back and support them. Iran is working towards having nuclear capabilities (I'm not going to say weapons because of the dispute over the issue) and is a country of concern in the Middle East.

WMDs are a big deal, enough that President Obama told the Syrian government that the use of WMDs would be crossing the 'redline' and would prompt military intervention in their civil war. If Hamas and Iran go overboard and use WMDs on Israel, this will be a major issue for both the United States and the U.N. Security Council, who already both have sanctions on Iran. Russia trades with Japan and for a lot of reasons doesn't want to see the end of the Iranian regime. China is Iran's largest importer of oil (the EU is the second), so the Chinese have a stake in pretty much anything that involves Iran.

So there you have it. The EU, US, China, and Russia all have stake in Iran, not to mention the Middle East which is a huge provider of oil. If a large scale war breaks out there, you could potentially see the situation quickly escalate into a larger problem.

Well, according to the article it began when a Hamas commander was killed, so Gaza fired rockets into Israel kiliing 3, to which Israel responded by killing ~20 Palestinians just now, to which Gaza will respond by firing even more rockets.

I don't even want to begin describing what happened before this chain =/.

Not entirely correct, Israel had taken around 80 missiles before they finally retaliated, though most were deflected with the Iron Dome.

Not entirely correct, Israel had taken around 80 missiles before they finally retaliated, though most were deflected with the Iron Dome.

The number 80 is a bit off.

Israel had already been facing growing tensions with its Arab neighbors. Israel has confronted lawlessness on its border with Sinai, including cross-border attacks. It recently fired twice into Syria, which is caught in a civil war, after munitions fell in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and it has absorbed more than 750 rockets fired from Gaza into southern Israel this year.

Source

The question is simple: will Iran come to Hamas' aid?

Iran might not have nuclear bombs yet, but they do have chemical and biological weapons, and missiles that can carry them to Israel and beyond (i.e., parts of Europe and Asia). If they decide to join this war, and not just as Hamas' suppliers, things could escalate very far indeed.

If Iran stays out, however, it will remain a local thing, like the 2006 war and various other attempts by Israel to get Hamas to stop its missile attacks. The world will collectively shake its head at these kids who can't learn to share, and go on its merry way.

I'm pretty sure that Iran is just looking for an excuse to bomb the pomegranate out of Israel at this point. Things in Iran have changed since 2006. Also, holy crap. That little kid... D:

The number 80 is a bit off.

Source

I meant in the past week.

I meant in the past week.

Oh, my mistake.