Israel Matzav

End of the Gaza 'truce'?

Now that the 'Palestinian' terrorists have had a chance to regroup and fight another day, the 'truce' in Gaza may be over. After a day in which the 'Palestinians' fired seven more shells into Israel (in yet another violation of the 'truce'), the IDF finally struck back, killing four terrorists who were about to shoot even more rockets into Israel.

Taher Nunu, a Hamas government spokesman, said Hamas considered the airstrike a violation of the truce.

"This is a serious breach of the truce understandings reached through Egyptian mediation," he said in an e-mail message to reporters. "We consider this the most serious in a string of breaches."

Earlier Tuesday night, the IDF destroyed a tunnel (pictured above) that was just 245 meters from the border.

Hamas apparently planned to use the tunnel to kidnap more soldiers. It was the first armed confrontation between the IDF and the terrorists since June. Soldiers engaged Hamas gunmen in a firefight, leading to casualties among the gunmen, the IDF said.

During the course of the fighting, terrorists blew up a house in which the tunnel surfaced, an explosion which testified to a "large amount of explosives," a military source said.

...

The IDF accused Hamas of jeopardizing the truce by digging the tunnel and plotting to abduct more Israeli soldiers in the immediate future.

"The tunnel we uncovered was ready for imminent use, forcing us to act immediately," the military source said. "We did not know where the other end of the tunnel surfaced. In light of the intelligence we received about its immediate use, plans for special forces to enter Gaza this evening after sundown were approved," he added.

"The operation will end tonight and soldiers will head back to Israeli territory," the source added. "We are committed to the ceasefire, but we saw an immediate threat of kidnapping. Hamas placed the ceasefire in jeopardy. We can't ignore a red warning light of a kidnapping attack."

Asked if he believed the cease-fire had ended, the military source told The Jerusalem Post, "I don't think there's any reason for this to happen. We are doing what needs to be done. But if other side forces us, we will take further steps."

I'd bet the 'cease fire' is coming to an end in 3-2-1....

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:13 AM