Palestinians fired two Kassam rockets at Israeli communities in the Western Negev on Wednesday evening, several hours after clashes between IDF troops and Hamas gunnies in the Gaza Strip killed four Paleostinians. No one was hurt in the attack and the rockets did not cause damage. Earlier, six mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. The Islamic Jihad terrorist group claimed responsibility for firing the shells, which landed in open areas and did not cause any injuries or damage.
| Must have been trained by Hekmatyer ... |
Troops spotted a group of Palestinian gunmen some 300 meters from the Gaza border, near the Kissufim crossing, the army said. The gunnies were apparently planning to plant a bomb near the fence. The soldiers crossed the border and entered the Strip in pursuit of the gunnies, the IDF said. In the ensuing firefight, four terrorists were killed and an IDF soldier was shot in the
The army said that an explosive device was detonated by the terrorists during the incident and that AK-47s and grenades were found on the bodies after they were killed.
Shortly after the firefight, a number of mortar shells were fired by Paleostinians at Israel, landing on the Israeli side of Kissufim. The IAF carried out two air strikes in the Khan Yunis area, the IDF added.
The army said there has been a significant rise in recent days in attempts by terrorists to plant explosives along the border in an effort to attack army patrols.
Hamas's military wing threatened retaliation. "The anger of our people and our Resistance™ will reach everybody, God willing, and our response to the enemy will be painful, and will spill the Zionists™' blood," the wing's spokesman, Abu Obeida, said in a statement.
| "We shall have Dire Revenge!!!" |
The latest clash came one day after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited the IDF's Southern Command, where he was briefed on the preparations being made by a Hamas-led coalition of terror groups. Israel and Hamas were on an inevitable collision course, Olmert said following the briefing. "It is merely a question of when and not a question of if," Olmert warned.
Defense Minster Ehud Barak, who accompanied Olmert on the visit, added, "The IDF is prepared, alert, and ready for any possibility. We are looking at this relative calm around and we know that many things are happening under the surface."
Last week, IDF special forces raided a tunnel dug by Hamas near the Israeli border, which the army said was to be used in an imminent kidnap attempt. The raid, which involved an armed clash with Hamas gunnies, killing a number of them, led to over 60 rockets being fired on southern Israel in the following days, and a number of Israeli air strikes on rocket launching crews.