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| By Israel Insider staff April 20, 2008 |
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The IDF foiled a well-planned car bomb attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing, but the cost was high. Thirteen IDF soldiers were lightly or moderately wounded Saturday morning as Palestinians detonated car bombs, fired mortar shells and opened fire on the troops, in what the IDF considers an attempted abduction attempt
In the first attack of its kind from Gaza, Hamas sent two explosives-packed jeeps and two armored vehicles. The jeeps, which were detonated by suicide drivers, broke through to the Israeli side of the Kerem Shalom goods crossing early Saturday, April 19. Terrorists jumped out of the first armored vehicle under cover of the explosions as well as mortar fire and heavy mist, and attacked the Israeli position guarding the terminal. This vehicle, painted in IDF colors, was captured and the assailants driven back.
The second armored vehicle, rigged with explosives, headed for the Kissufim crossing further north. IDF tank fire blew it up before it reached its target.
IDF Southern Command Chief Major-General Yoav Galant said Saturday that the Kerem Shalom attack was "the worst attack we've seen since the disengagement." Galant commended the soldiers' tenacity, saying their actions prevented what could have been a mass causality event. "This was a quality operation by the Bedouin troops and those joining them and most of all it's a demonstration of our commanders and soldiers' tenacity."
Israeli officials credited the boldness and creativity of the enemy operation, a senior IDF official told Ynet. "This was an obvious attempt to make an operational statement," said the officer. "The creativity demonstrated by the terrorists, was meant to carry out a 'quality' attack. Dead or kidnapped troops would have dramatically changed the situation in Gaza both over the holiday and in the future."
However, the readiness of the army to confront such a move defeated the plan. "The IDF deployment in the area stopped that from happening, which carries not only great operational value for us, but a substantial morale defeat to the other side."
The senior officer interviewed by Ynet said that the attack illustrated the weakness in the IDF's purely defensive posture, after a string of serious attacks around the Gaza border perimeter.
"It is not for us to determine when or how to operate in the Strip, we have clear orders and we carry them out; but when you're operating on the defense, you're asking for an offense -- that's all part of it," he said
After the recent attack on Nahal Oz, which left two civilians dead, ynet said "many officers serving in the Southern Command warned that continuing the current strategy may result in harsher onslaughts."
Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi visited the IDF's Southern Command several hours after the infiltration attempt. They commended the troops on their actions and said that Hamas will be held accountable.
Following the attack, the Israeli Air Force carried out attacks on rocket crews in Gaza. A cell of four group members was killed by IDF fire Saturday evening enroute to launch rockets at Israel. Two other militants were killed in two separate strikes on Saturday night and Sunday morning. |
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