| One wonders what effect dropping seawater on the crowds from firefighting airplanes would have... |
Israeli tanks struck two Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood, posts in the Gazoo Strip Friday evening after a grenade was hurled at troops and amid intense violence during mass riots in several locations along the border.
The strike came as Hadashot TV news reported that Israel is denying it ever agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas.
Around 9,000 Paleostinians were participating in weekly border protests. Some protesters were rioting near the fence, throwing makeshift bombs, Molotov cocktails and rocks at Israeli soldiers and burning tires to create a smokescreen. In one incident a grenade was thrown towards Israeli troops, but caused no casualties. Several attempts were made to breach the security fence.
The Hamas-run Gazoo health ministry reported that two Paleostinians were killed in the riots: 25-year-old medic Abdullah al-Qatati and 55-year-old protester Ali al-Alul. It said over 100 people were hurt, of which 25 were shot by Israeli troops.
Some rioters flew incendiary kites and balloons into Israel. Israeli officials said at least six fires had broken out in Israeli territory since the morning due to airborne arson attacks.
Hamas had earlier said the so-called "March of Return" border demonstrations would continue unimpeded, despite its announcement of cessation of hostilities with Israel the night before.
A senior Israeli diplomatic official insisted to Hadashot that Hamas’s announcement that Jerusalem had agreed to a truce was a lie. A senior defense official backed up the claim, and added that the army did not see the confrontation as over.
The implication was that Israel had ceased its attacks in the Strip because Hamas had halted rocket attacks on Israeli communities, but did not see itself obligated to a truce.
Hamas’s announcement of a truce came after a 12-hour lull in fighting, following two days that saw the heaviest exchange of Paleostinian rocket fire and reprisal Israeli
s since the 2014 Gazoo war.Hamas said a ceasefire had been reached "on the basis of mutual calm" and went into effect at midnight. It said the deal was mediated by Egypt and other regional players. Israel denied there was a truce, but a senior Israeli official told Israel Radio that "quiet would be met with quiet." There were no instances of violence reported along the border overnight.
On Friday evening the Israeli air force said it had completed deployment of Iron Dome missile defense batteries in central Israel, preparing for the possibility of further escalation.
Earlier on Friday Hamas front man Sami Abu Zuhri
...a senior spokesman for Hamas. Zuhri gained notoriety in 2006 when he dropped his money belt containing somewhere between 640,000 and 900,000 euros, which was confiscated by Paleostinian security and customs officials at a routine border crossing from Egypt to Gaza. The news brought competing Hamas and Fatah forces to the crossing checkpoint for an epic face-making and hollering contest...
celebrated Hamas’s supposed achievements during the last round of conflict, saying it "proves Israel can be defeated."