The Israelis are signaling that they are ready to hammer Hamas in Gaza:
Israel does not intend to launch a major ground offensive in the next week or two, partly because the military prefers to wait for better weather, defense officials said. But the army has now completed its preparations and informed the government it's ready to move immediately when the order is given, the officials said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
After Thursday's rocket attacks on Ashkelon, Israel activated its "Code Red" rocket warning system there. The system picks up incoming rockets and sounds an alarm in the target area, giving residents time — a few dozen seconds, in Ashkelon's case — to scramble for cover.
And our Navy is sending a signal off of Lebanon:
The U.S. military said Thursday the Navy was sending at least three ships, including an amphibious assault ship, to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in a show of strength during a period of tensions with Syria and political uncertainty in Lebanon.
"We are facing an American threat against Lebanon," Hezbollah legislator Hassan Fadlallah said. "It is clear this threat and intimidation will not affect us," he said on local television.
Our presence would tend to deter the Syrians from getting involved if the Israelis fight round two against Hizbollah after learning their lessons from the failures of the first round.
And if Hizbollah doesn't want a round two without the backing of their ally Syria, they may be less willing to support Hamas if the Israelis hammer Hamas in Gaza.
Gaza must be feeling pretty alone. Good.
