War? Israel calls reserves, shuts down beaches

I've been wrong before - things that look like war, sound like war, certainly are war - eventually reported as skirmish, or escalation, or "rising tensions" - and are disregarded as nothing-burger the day after. In my opinion, when your civilian population is bombarded daily, regardless of your retaliation - be it full throttle or incomprehensible apathy - you are at war.

So after a few weeks of relentless bombardment of Israeli civilians by Gaza war criminals from Fatah, Hamas, Islamic-Jihad/Iran - and Israel minor responses (deliberate accurate hits on empty dunes), it seems yesterday Israeli leaders said enough. I wonder if they will follow through and uproot this terror weed for good.

Israel cabinet votes to call up 40,000 reservists (Ynet)

Israeli home hit by Hamas/Fatah government rockets (BBC)

The security cabinet has voted to call up some 40,000 reservists in preparation of a possible ground operation in Gaza Strip as part of Operation Protective Edge, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to "take off the gloves" in its confrontation with Hamas.

Netanyahu placed responsiblity for the current round of fighting on Hamas, and said "Hamas chose escalation and it will pay a heavy price for it."

Senior political sources close to Netanyahu said he has ordered the defense establishment to conduct a "continuous, long and forceful operation in Gaza."

The decision to call up reservists was taken at the request of IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz, and is intended to allow reservists to take over part of the duties currently being fulfilled by conscripted soldiers, who will now avail themselves to the operation itself.

According to the source, Netanyahu told the IDF to go "all the way," saying "evening a ground operation was currently on the table." According to them, such an operation was far from certain, but that the operation's goal was to increase deterrence and deal Hamas a significant blow.