IDF attacks in Gaza
On Monday night the IAF launched several attack on locations in north and south Gaza and managed to catch the military leader of Islamic Jihad, Majed Harazin in the open. He was killed in one of two cars that were hit in southern Gaza that blew up in a huge explosion because they were carrying high explosives. Normally Harazin did not travel by car because of the danger of being hit by the IAF, but for once he let his guard down and was hit.
This was a major success for Israel, and in the course of the attacks a total of 13 Palestinian terrorists were killed. Two of them who were killed by IDF ground fire were Hamas terrorists who were preparing to fire mortars at Israel from a military position. And in a separate incident on the West Bank, a gunfight took place in Kabatiya and the leader of the IJ al-Quds Brigade in Jenin, Tarik Abu-Ra'ali, was killed with three of his lieutenants when an IDF patrol was trying to arrest him.
The attacks in Gaza were a response to the firing of ca. 10 rockets a day and many more mortars that have been having devastating effects on the ability of Israelis to live in the western Negev, particularly the town of Sderot. The day before a house received a direct hit and a baby of 18 months was injured. As a result, the PM and the Cabinet gave the IDF a free hand in attacking selected targets in Gaza. In a visit hours after this incident Defense Minister Ehud Barak vowed that the IDF would protect the inhabitants of Sderot.
After the attacks in Gaza the IJ went wild, with large crowds gathering calling for revenge. The IJ leadership issued a threat that they will escalate terrorism and rocket attacks on Israel. So this is a war, as we have known, that has been going on for a long time. The only question is did the IDF mount these small scale attacks to avoid having to mount a large-scale ground invasion, or if the IJ and/or Hamas mount larger attacks, will the IDF respond on a larger scale. Since this is between the Annapolis meeting and the forthcoming visit of Pres. Bush, no time is convenient for such a large scale attack in Gaza. The PA Fatah leadership would certainly use this as an excuse for cutting off negotiations with Israel, which they are afraid to pursue because it will split the Palestinians more, and will make them less popular and more vulnerable to assassination.
In their message issued in Gaza, the IJ also ordered all their operatives to stop using cell phones and cars and to throw away their cell phones and batteries. This is to stop the IDF tracking them and finding their exact location, which they are clearly very expert at doing. Although if obeyed, these orders will reduce the IDF intelligence capability, it will also cause the IJ to be less effective at carrying out their murderous activities. On the other hand another Hamas spokesman called for a renewed ceasefire (hudna) and a halt of all Israeli attacks on Gaza. It should be remembered that the previous hudna, that never stopped the rocket firing into Israel, came about after the assassination of senior Hamas leaders in Gaza in 2004 by the IAF. PM Olmert vowed that the targeted attacks will continue. In any case, the IDF is now on maximum alert in case of a major response by the terrorists.
This was a major success for Israel, and in the course of the attacks a total of 13 Palestinian terrorists were killed. Two of them who were killed by IDF ground fire were Hamas terrorists who were preparing to fire mortars at Israel from a military position. And in a separate incident on the West Bank, a gunfight took place in Kabatiya and the leader of the IJ al-Quds Brigade in Jenin, Tarik Abu-Ra'ali, was killed with three of his lieutenants when an IDF patrol was trying to arrest him.
The attacks in Gaza were a response to the firing of ca. 10 rockets a day and many more mortars that have been having devastating effects on the ability of Israelis to live in the western Negev, particularly the town of Sderot. The day before a house received a direct hit and a baby of 18 months was injured. As a result, the PM and the Cabinet gave the IDF a free hand in attacking selected targets in Gaza. In a visit hours after this incident Defense Minister Ehud Barak vowed that the IDF would protect the inhabitants of Sderot.
After the attacks in Gaza the IJ went wild, with large crowds gathering calling for revenge. The IJ leadership issued a threat that they will escalate terrorism and rocket attacks on Israel. So this is a war, as we have known, that has been going on for a long time. The only question is did the IDF mount these small scale attacks to avoid having to mount a large-scale ground invasion, or if the IJ and/or Hamas mount larger attacks, will the IDF respond on a larger scale. Since this is between the Annapolis meeting and the forthcoming visit of Pres. Bush, no time is convenient for such a large scale attack in Gaza. The PA Fatah leadership would certainly use this as an excuse for cutting off negotiations with Israel, which they are afraid to pursue because it will split the Palestinians more, and will make them less popular and more vulnerable to assassination.
In their message issued in Gaza, the IJ also ordered all their operatives to stop using cell phones and cars and to throw away their cell phones and batteries. This is to stop the IDF tracking them and finding their exact location, which they are clearly very expert at doing. Although if obeyed, these orders will reduce the IDF intelligence capability, it will also cause the IJ to be less effective at carrying out their murderous activities. On the other hand another Hamas spokesman called for a renewed ceasefire (hudna) and a halt of all Israeli attacks on Gaza. It should be remembered that the previous hudna, that never stopped the rocket firing into Israel, came about after the assassination of senior Hamas leaders in Gaza in 2004 by the IAF. PM Olmert vowed that the targeted attacks will continue. In any case, the IDF is now on maximum alert in case of a major response by the terrorists.
posted by Jack Cohen at 3:14 PM
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