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Photo by Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images

Hamas and its army of rioters, some weeks numbering more than 10,000, does not pose an existential challenge to Israel, but any one of these knife-wielding warriors absolutely does so to Israelis living in small farming communities near the border.

Compounding the immediate dangers posed by the riots is the Hamas launching of arson weapons: kites attached to oil-soaked rags and other incendiary devices that have directly caused the incineration of more than 4,000 hectares of Israeli farmland and nature preserve.

In recent weeks, encouraged by Hamas leadership, the riots have become night-time occurrences, every night, presenting greater challenges for Israeli troops to detect border breaches and other violent activity.

Photo by Khalil Hamra/AP

Hamas justifies the violence as a direct result of the appalling humanitarian conditions of the Gaza population, for which it lays sole blame on the Israeli “blockade” of the Strip.

Prior to Hamas assuming power in the coastal enclave in 2007 there was virtually no restriction on goods entering Gaza from Israel. With the entrenchment of a virulently hostile “government,” things changed.

Israel nevertheless has continued to allow tons of all manner of goods to pass through two industrial checkpoints into Gaza, daily. Even during previous wars, when Hamas required gasoline to power its mobile rocket launchers, Israel allowed fuel to pass. Surely, that is the definition of insanity.

Egypt, on the other hand, has imposed an exceedingly harsh border blockade on Gaza, allowing infrequent passage for individuals with humanitarian issues. They are often detained at the border in deplorable conditions for extended periods.