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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Hamas ambushes Gaza "arms convoy" , Trucefire™ holding
2007-02-01
When will it be time for the next one?
GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas gunmen ambushed what the Islamic group alleged was a convoy carrying weapons to Mahmoud Abbas's presidential guard in the Gaza Strip on Thursday and at least one person was killed and 17 were wounded, residents said. The four-truck convoy, which set off from the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, was stopped by gunfire in the central Gaza Strip.
Must've skipped the weigh station...
The violence tested a 3-day-old ceasefire that had largely stopped a surge in internal fighting in the territory in which at least 30 Palestinians had been killed.
Oh, it was just a test. I guess the dead guy flunked.
A battle raged between Hamas gunmen and presidential guards accompanying the convoy, according to residents in the area who said a civilian was killed. Hospital officials said 17 people, including two children, were wounded in the clash. "A real war is taking place, gunmen are using the heaviest arms they have," a witness said.
Hope this doesn't "derail talks on the unity government™"...
Sources in the governing Hamas movement said the trucks were carrying weapons for the 4,000-man presidential guard, a force loyal to Abbas and his Fatah faction.
Oh, boy! New guns!
"Hamas's heroes have commandeered arms shipments that came through Kerem Shalom as part of the fight against the Palestinian people," a presenter on a Hamas radio station said.
Ha! Now they're our guns! NYAH NYAH, NYAH NYAH...
Asked about the convoy's cargo, a Palestinian security official declined to comment. A senior Israeli official said she knew trucks had entered the Gaza Strip but did not know their contents.
Ummmmmmmmm...trucks? What trucks? Oh, those trucks.
President Bush has committed $86 million to provide training and non-lethal equipment to forces loyal to Abbas. Guns and ammunition are being supplied by key U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt, with Israeli approval, Israeli officials say.
Thanks, George. Let me know how much of it was mine, and I'll just flush it down the toilet.
Diplomats say Abbas's military build-up was meant to counter strides by Hamas in smuggling in more powerful weapons into Gaza for its fast-growing "Executive Force" and armed wing, known as the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades.
Mahmoud, is that an AK-47?
No, it's an AK...48. Next week, we get AK...49s.
Posted by:tu3031

#19  Fatah is now claiming to have arrested Iranians in Gaza who were helping Hamas.

Difficult to believe. They would have had to sneak in via Egypt.
Posted by: mhw   2007-02-01 22:29  

#18  OMG, 'moose! That's the best graphic I've seen in these parts yet, and Fred (and .com, I'm sure) have some doozies!

TW, let me know if'n you need me to pick something up at the store too.
Posted by: BA   2007-02-01 22:14  

#17  Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-02-01 18:17  

#16  Oh hell TW they'll fight as long as they can. Cause Allen told em to.

Ah, shades of the Iran-Iraq war. Where can I buy tickets?
Posted by: Icerigger   2007-02-01 17:55  

#15  I'll do a grocery run, BA. Let's see how they celebrate their Sabbath, shall we?
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-02-01 17:41  

#14  Fatah now says the trucks had tents and hospital equipment including desperately needed incubators for hundreds of wounded previously viable fluffy baby ducks.
Posted by: Shipman   2007-02-01 15:31  

#13  Thanks, George. Let me know how much of it was mine, and I'll just flush it down the toilet.

I don't know about that. I think this is absolutely hilarious. Keep 'em focused on each other, instead of the Jooooos. Of course, I'd prefer my tax $ to stay here (hit Fred's tip jar?) and at least pay for the popcorn. This maybe heading into "spontaneous party" era, so TW, you may wanna fire up the scone-makers!
Posted by: BA   2007-02-01 13:32  

#12  steven

I think they have plenty of ammo. Some of the factors limiting the toll are:

- ammo doesn't work well in poorly maintained weapons
- projectiles don't hit target if they are simply fired in the vicinity as opposed to being aimed
Posted by: mhw   2007-02-01 13:12  

#11  Can we supply some ammo to both sides? Just a couple hundred rounds, while I pop some corn and get the comfy chair.
Posted by: steven   2007-02-01 12:46  

#10  According to JPost its 6 casulties by now.
According to Debka, 7.
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-02-01 12:38  

#9  War in the New Millenium:

1. Non-Westerners do not need to abide by the Laws of War.

2. Westerners who fight non-Westerners are in violation of the Laws of War.

3. Non-Westerners never violate cease-fires and truces, regardless of their actions.

4. The existence of Westerners is violation (on their part) of cease-fires and truces.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2007-02-01 12:32  

#8  4 dead since truce (in GAZA) as of 6pm local time

Hamas has fired on Abbas's Gaza residence in the past 2 hours.
Posted by: mhw   2007-02-01 12:02  

#7  Oh, well. Maybe next time.
AFP's still hopeful though...

GAZA CITY (AFP) - Four Palestinians have been killed and 43 wounded in clashes between factional rivals Fatah and Hamas, jeopardising a three-day truce in the Gaza Strip, medical and security sources said.

Posted by: tu3031   2007-02-01 11:37  

#6  oh wait - AP now says the ceasefire has dissolved. Is any keep track of the number of ceasefires? The average length?
Posted by: liberalhawk   2007-02-01 11:08  

#5  latest is 4 dead. But the ceasefire is "holding" whatever that means.

Fatah now says the trucks had tents and hospital equipment. Not clear if Hamas actually ended up in control of the convoy - article here is the first ive heard saying that.

If so, Fatah is going to have to focus on securing an area around one of the crossings from Israel. Its beginning to sound like a real war, with geography and strategy and all, not just shootings and kidnappings.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2007-02-01 10:51  

#4  If this is a ceasefire, I can't wait for the all out war.
Posted by: DarthVader   2007-02-01 10:46  

#3  President Bush has committed $86 million to provide training and non-lethal equipment to forces loyal to Abbas.

Damn, I just give all the bullets, and purdy OD suits they wanted. No training tho. Nothing more than pull this, then this until it goes bang. And we got all the bullets you need, hell, I'd air drop 'em if necessary. And pistols, they need more pistols.
Posted by: Shipman   2007-02-01 10:45  

#2  I do not think that word means what you think that word means.

Posted by: FOTSGreg   2007-02-01 10:42  

#1  Ceasefire.

Emphasis on the fire. Not so much on the cease. I think that word means something different in arabic.
Posted by: PlanetDan   2007-02-01 10:37  

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