Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “The gloves are off.” The action was named Operation Protective Edge. The IDF attacked Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza in great numbers from the start. Hamas was using the homes of their operatives and putting their families in harm’s way as human shields. I was now living in Hadera and I was not shocked about the announcement of war with Gaza. I, along with all the people of Israel, were applauding our government for moving forward to stop the rockets. I was putting my things in order and talking with my new housemate that first evening. On July 8 we saw on TV that five Hamas naval commando frogmen had infiltrated the northern beaches of Gaza. They swam from Gaza to Zikim Beach where they planted explosives on a bulldozer and threw a grenade at a tank. They proceeded to attack a small kibbutz, population 385, in the Negev desert in southern Israel.
