Israel Matzav

Islamic Jihad declares a halt to Kassam fire for one week

More proof that the only language the 'Palestinians' understand is getting the language of the sword. After fifteen deaths in the last two days or so, Islamic Jihad has announced that it will stop shooting Kassams from Gaza for one week. Is this the start of something? Let's hope so.

The Islamic Jihad said Sunday that it was stopping Kassam rocket fire at Israel for a period of one week, provided that Israel stop attacked Kassam launch sites in the Gaza Strip, a senior Jihad operative said in a statement.

One Palestinian security forces officer was killed in Beit Hanoun on Sunday and seven others were wounded in IDF attacks on northern Gaza. Palestinians reported that the wounded included civilians.

Despite continued IDF artillery shelling, a Kassam rocket was launched at Israel. None were reported in the incident, and the rocket remnants have not yet been located, Army Radio said.

On Sunday morning, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz briefed the cabinet on the IDF's activities over the weekend in the Gaza Strip, saying that the IDF attacked cells firing Kassam missiles, areas where the missiles were launched, offices serving terrorist groups and the group's training camps.

"We will do everything necessary at all hours of the day in order to reduce the Kassam launchings toward Israel," Mofaz said.

Mofaz said that the terrorist groups' motivation to carry out attacks has increased significantly over the last few months. He said that there were currently 11 concrete warnings of attacks, as well as partial information regarding 70 other possible attacks.

Mofaz said that as a result of the increase in the number of attacks and warnings, as well as Hamas' formation of the Palestinian Authority government, Israel would continue to take an "uncompromising policy" toward the terrorist organizations and "anyone who threatens Israel's citizens."

...

Senior reserve commander in the Gaza division Col. Motti Yogev assessed on Sunday that an IDF entry into the Gaza Strip, for the first time since the disengagement in August, would be inevitable. [And I thought that expelling the Jews from the Gaza Strip would obviate the need for the IDF to go in there. /sarc CiJ]

In an Army Radio interview, he said that Israel must be prepared for an operation that might include clearing the territory of all weapons, and possibly occupying strategic positions in the region. [But, but... I thought we left Gaza. And besides, we have a 'security fence' there. /sarc CiJ]

On Saturday night, an IAF aircraft fired missiles at a Fatah training camp near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip after spotting suspicious activity. Six Palestinians were killed in the strike. Weekend missile strikes killed a total of 14 Palestinians, including a seven-year-old boy [who was standing with his father and four other armed terrorists when he was killed - that's what happens when the terrorists try to hide among the civilians. CiJ].

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:50 PM