 |
 |
 |
|
|
A soldier inspects one of the mortars which landed in the Gaza Strip. (katif.net)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By Israel Insider staff and partners February 10, 2005 |
|
| |
Hamas has fired more than fifty mortars and several Kassam rockets at Gaza Strip communities and IDF bases since 2:00 a.m. Thursday, hitting settlements in Gush Katif, southern Gaza, and northern Gaza, according to the IDF.
Jewish residents say that more than 25 have landed on settlements.
No one has yet been injured by the attacks.
The first shells started blasting Neveh Dekalim close to 2 AM, and continued throughout the night. One shell landed directly in the shower stall of a home.
Electricity throughout Gush Katif, except for Moshav Katif and Netzer Hazani, was knocked out, apparently by a mortar shell, at 4 AM, and only returned around 9:30.
As of Thursday afternoon, the IDF had no plans to launch any offensive operations or retaliate in any way.
Although PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas ordered his security forces to preserve the "cease-fire," there are no reports of preventive action or arrests.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday afternoon ordered PA security forces to end militant fire on Gaza Strip settlements, which shattered the relative calm surrounding Tuesday's Sharm el-Sheikh summit.
Abbas said he had issued "strict instructions" to his security forces to prevent violations of the cease-fire, and said he is planning a series of "decisions and measures" for his forces. He did not elaborate.
Israeli security officials said the violence would not delay the prisoner release planned for next week or the transfer of security control to the Palestinian Authority in five West Bank cities.
Sources in the Shin Bet security service said they were not surprised by the escalation in violence, observing that Hamas has not agreed to recognize the cease-fire brokered by Abbas, but only agreed to "calming" the situation.
On Israeli state-backed Channel 2 Television's 8:00 newscast Wednesday it was reported that "Although Hamas has not yet officially joined the cease-fire, it is keeping the calm." No mention was made of the "work accident" in which a Hamas terrorist blew himself up and rocket-fire attempts.
The Shin Bet official did not comment on whether Thursday's barrage of projectiles fired were considered "calm."
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's bureau on Thursday afternoon expressed "deep concern" over the mortar and rocket attacks.
President Moshe Katsav said he "believes in" Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas but placed responsibility for the shellings on the new Palestinian leader, Army Radio reported.
The organized bombardment appears to be a direct result of the concessions that Sharon has made to the Palestinian Authority in recent days, and which continued thursday morning. Katif.net reports that the north-south route, which long had an IDF checkpoint controlling its traffic, is now open 24 hours a day to local Arab traffic with no Israeli supervision. "This enables the terrorists to rearm and transport mortar shells from north to south with no disturbance," the site reports.
Kfar Darom spokesman Asher Mivtzari said the volume of mortar shells appears to reflect a political deal in which Palestinians are allowed to hit Gaza settlements, while the city of Sderot in Israel is spared. "We see that no shells have hit Sderot, while Gush Katif is pounded mercilessly," he said. "It is clear that Abu Mazen is allowing this, while at the same time receiving a signal from Sharon that it's OK to hit Gush Katif, as long as Sderot is left out of the equation."
"We call upon the Prime Minister and Defense Minister," said Gush Katif spokesman Eran Sternberg, "to open their eyes and see with whom we're making this imaginary peace, and to whom they're making the gestures [of removing roadblocks, releasing prisoners, and the like]."
After a brief lull in the early morning, another barrage of at least seven shells hit Atzmonah, and two Kassam rockets were fired later in the morning at Neveh Dekalim and Katif.
MK Uri Ariel (National Union) said: "Sharon has abandoned Gush Katif and its residents; the fact that there have been no wounded has nothing to do with him... The soldiers can no longer merely open fire on suspected infiltrators; they have to ask permission from their higher-ups, and it takes a while. All the Hamas leaders have now come out of their holes, and are walking around free, preparing for the next round of terror."
Though Gush Katif has been pounded with well over 5,300 shells and rockets during the past four years, residents say they cannot remember such a large bombardment as the one that began early this morning, Israel National News reported.
Israeli defense sources confirmed that the salvo was one of the heaviest mortar barrages since Abbas and Hamas reached an accord on January 22, under which militants would curb their activities, unless Israel resumed military operations in the territories.
The security sources also said there has been a rise in the number of terror threats, mainly emanating from the Gaza Strip, with an average of close to 60 on Thursday.
Most of the mortars were fired from western Khan Yunis, not far from Neveh Dekalim.
Hamas claimed the mortar and Kassam fire was in response to the death of a 20-year-old Palestinian killed by IDF gunfire near the settlement of Atzmonah in the Gaza strip Wednesday evening.
The IDF Spokesman said soldiers fired warning shots in the air after spotting a group of Palestinians approaching the security fence in a restricted zone.
Apparent Arab car thief shot dead
Overnight Thursday, a Palestinian was shot and killed near the settlement of Ofra, north of Jerusalem, after he sped past an IDF checkpoint and ignored warnings to stop.
According to the IDF Spokesman, soldiers spotted two vehicles speeding along the road. The drivers ignored their calls to halt as well as warning shots fired into the air. Fearing that the passengers may be terrorists planning to attack the soldiers, shots were fired at one of the cars, at which point the driver, hit by gunfire, lost control of the car, which veered into a ditch alongside the road.
He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The second vehicle succeeded in fleeing the area.
According to initial findings, the car driven by the driver who was killed was stolen from Jerusalem shortly before the incident. The army is investigating the sequence of events.
In the West Bank, security forces arrested four Palestinians in raids in Nablus, the Sahma refugee camp southwest of Jenin, and in Jaljilya, north of Ramallah.
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
