Two things about the evacuation of Gaza struck me as I watched videos and news coverage of their fleeing populace.
First, it has been eight days since Hamas attacked Israel. Why did people living in the Gaza Strip wait a week to evacuate? Did they need a leaflet falling from the sky to tell them to flee the coming war? Aren’t any of them smart enough to leave when the first bombs fall and the artillery and tanks wheeled into position?
I get it; the people living in Gaza can’t afford to prep, but can’t they see the writing on the wall?
As anyone reading this blog should know, when facing a disaster it is best to leave early to beat the crowds. Whether you call it evacuating or bugging out, the sooner you can leave, the less trouble you will have getting away from ground zero. It doesn’t matter if you are leaving Florida to avoid a hurricane or leaving Gaza to avoid a war, leave as soon as you can to avoid getting stuck in a day-long traffic jam. When the SHTF, have a place to go, your go bag or bugout bag packed, have some boxes ready to load into the vehicle, gather your most important belongings, and flee. You want to be the first people on the highway, before the roadblocks are up, the gas stations run dry, the food and water sell out, and traffic jams form.
Second, the disconnect of seeing people talking on their cell phones while evacuating on a cart pulled by a donkey was shocking. On the other hand, they might be better able to “refuel” the donkey with grass or grain than to find a gallon of gas for their car. But better to bug out by donkey than not at all.
Nowhere to Go
Like many city dwellers, most of the people living in Gaza have nowhere to go, no way to get there, and no permission to leave the area. The borders are closed. Egypt won’t let them in because they don’t want to deal with a million Palestinian refugees. Will the Muslim world blame Egypt when the Gaza residents die? No! Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Iran and the rest of them don’t want the Palestinians either. It’s much easier for them to blame Israel or the U.S., even though it was Hamas—the equivalent of the Palestinian’s government—who started the war knowing full well what the results would be. In fact, the wanted Israel to invade Gaza.
Hamas instructed their soldiers to kill as many Israelis as possible, as horrifically as possible. Hamas sent them across the border to commit atrocities. Why? So that Israel would commit atrocities in return and get blamed for them. Hamas is hoping Israel’s counterattack will be a slaughter of innocents because it will rile up the Muslims who otherwise don’t care what happens to the Palestinians. It will cause protests and uprisings in Europe, the U.S., and even in other Middle Eastern states.
The attack may well be the catalyst that sparks a larger war, or at least many more battles. That is what Hamas wants, chaos among the infidels.
You need to prepare for global chaos. I can tell you the U.S. military is preparing. They are reacting much more aggressively to the possibility of a war in the Middle East than they did to the invasion of Ukraine.
No Rules
As I said last week, avoid areas that could be targets, from areas of historical importance to crowded events that are difficult to defend from small groups or lone wolf terrorists. Avoid targets associated with Judaism, such as synagogues and schools. Carry a pistol and have a rifle in your vehicle, so you are prepared to defend yourself. Be prepared for supply chain disruptions, terrorist attacks and travel restrictions. And if you are going to bug out, do so before they declare martial law and lock down the cities.
When Hamas attacked Israel, it ignored the so-called “rules” of warfare. It not only killed non-combatants, it sought them out. Israel is going to persecute the war in a manner that targets Hamas but inadvertently kills many of the civilians they keep around as human shields. (Remember, Hamas is telling people in Gaza not to leave.)
If Gaza ends up looking like parts of Berlin after WWII, the world needs to remember Hamas started it and got what they deserved. If parts of Iran end up looking like Hiroshima, the world needs to remember Iran also started it.
There is a good chance that this war will spread and at some point will result in more dead Americans, both in and out of in uniform. You need to prepare for that as well. Higher energy prices will be the least of our problems.
