Prisoners and suspects
Today the Israeli Govt. released 429 Palestinian prisoners from jail, of whom 21 were released to Gaza and the rest to the West Bank. This was a gesture to bolster Pres. Mahmoud Abbas of the PA. All the prisoners had been convicted of crimes (usually security offences), and were members of Fatah (not Hamas or PFLP), but none of them had Israeli blood on their hands. Before being released they were required to sign an agreement that they will not engage in terrorism or violent acts against Israel. All of them signed, but few think this will stop them breaking this agreement, as others have in the past. While not reciprocating in any way, the PA criticized Israel for not releasing more prisoners and not releasing those that have blood on their hands, i.e. the terrorist leaders. Israel neither sought nor was given any indication that this release will help to ensure the release of our POW Gilad Schalit, who is in any case being held in Gaza by pro-Hamas extremists, over which Abbas has no control.
Last night in actions on the West Bank the IDF detained 42 Palestinians who were wanted on suspicion of terrorism or other security offenses. So they freed up some jail space but there are plenty of others to fill it. Two of those arrested were responsible for the attack last Monday (the night before the Annapolis meeting) that killed an Israeli driver Ido Zoldan (29, father of 2), and they happen to be PA policemen serving in Abbas' forces. The PA police cooperated and detained another member of their own forces who participated in this terrorist attack.
There were other incidents of firing and bombing near the Gaza border fence, and the IAF mounted an air attack against a Hamas security facility from where men were seen leaving to shoot rockets into the Negev. Four were killed, but two rockets were fired and landed harmlessly. However, in response, the local leader of Hamas warned that they are working on obtaining rockets with twice the range that will also be filled with explosives to fire into Israel. So the war of the rockets goes on daily in the south.
It is a matter of speculation, given the Annapolis situation and the continuation of negotiations, whether or not the IDF will mount a major raid into Gaza to deal with the rocket launchers, the increasing armaments flowing into Gaza from Egypt and the growing threat from a Hamas terrorist army being trained in Gaza. On the one hand the impending threat must be dealt with, on the other hand such an attack would tend to give the various factions an excuse to combine together to fight the common Israeli enemy. Although cutting off electricity and fuel supplies is seen as a better way of bringing pressure on Hamas to stop these activities, noone really believes this will work, and in the end a major IDF incursion into Gaza is probably unavoidable. According to Defense Minister Barak, only the timing remains to be determined.
Last night in actions on the West Bank the IDF detained 42 Palestinians who were wanted on suspicion of terrorism or other security offenses. So they freed up some jail space but there are plenty of others to fill it. Two of those arrested were responsible for the attack last Monday (the night before the Annapolis meeting) that killed an Israeli driver Ido Zoldan (29, father of 2), and they happen to be PA policemen serving in Abbas' forces. The PA police cooperated and detained another member of their own forces who participated in this terrorist attack.
There were other incidents of firing and bombing near the Gaza border fence, and the IAF mounted an air attack against a Hamas security facility from where men were seen leaving to shoot rockets into the Negev. Four were killed, but two rockets were fired and landed harmlessly. However, in response, the local leader of Hamas warned that they are working on obtaining rockets with twice the range that will also be filled with explosives to fire into Israel. So the war of the rockets goes on daily in the south.
It is a matter of speculation, given the Annapolis situation and the continuation of negotiations, whether or not the IDF will mount a major raid into Gaza to deal with the rocket launchers, the increasing armaments flowing into Gaza from Egypt and the growing threat from a Hamas terrorist army being trained in Gaza. On the one hand the impending threat must be dealt with, on the other hand such an attack would tend to give the various factions an excuse to combine together to fight the common Israeli enemy. Although cutting off electricity and fuel supplies is seen as a better way of bringing pressure on Hamas to stop these activities, noone really believes this will work, and in the end a major IDF incursion into Gaza is probably unavoidable. According to Defense Minister Barak, only the timing remains to be determined.
posted by Jack Cohen at 5:42 PM
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