Sunday, September 25, 2005
Israeli artillery has moved up to the Gaza Strip in response to the launching of 40 Kassam rockets from there into its territory. It has also taken the gloves back off (at least as much off as they usually are off) by going back to targeted killings and arrests (although it was already making arrests at a much lower level, see: Haaretz: IDF air strike on car in Gaza kills top Islamic Jihad militant).
JPost: PM 'frees' IDF to respond to attacks
Sharon told ministers at the start of Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting that Israel would do everything in its power to prevent the firing of Kassam rockets at southern Israel.
"There are no restrictions on the use of any measures in order to strike at the terrorists, their equipment and where they find shelter," Sharon said at the opening of Sunday's cabinet meeting. "The instructions are unequivocal; we do not mean a one-time action here." He said the only limitation on the IDF was its "regular objective " of "not hitting civilians."
According to Sharon, "This is not a one-time thing; we are preparing for a prolonged operation."
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said he gave the IDF the green light to use all means at the IDF's disposal, including artillery fire, to create a buffer zone in areas – such as the northern Gaza Strip – from where the Kassam rockets were fired...
Hamas had been launching Kassams into Israel all along (an under-reported fact), but really heated things up after a truck they were parading around exploded on them.
The Palestinian Authority, surprisingly enough, was quick to condemn Hamas for the explosion, and even Al Jazeera doesn't seem to be buying the Hamas excuse (hat tip to Larry for the link) that "Israel did it."
Hamas in their blood zeal, of course, after blaming the Israelis for their own murderous screw up, had to step-up their "operations" against the little Satan, which has simultaneously forced Sharon to respond in an appropriately serious manner and provided the opportunity to give Abbas the choice he hasn't wanted to make: of trying to make Abbas fear him more than he fears fighting Hamas.
Following the Hamas parade disaster, Abbas was making some noises in the direction of getting Hamas to at least get off the streets, but he has little credibility in this regard, and while there are reports that some public opinion was finally turning against Hamas, we've heard that before, and there's little guarantee that Abbas will hold firm and/or that Hamas's shifting of blame to Israel for the incident won't start to take hold.
In the mean-time, Sharon has little choice but to take muscular action as his citizens are shelled and threatened with an up-tick in suicide murder.
Interestingly, one of the targeted strikes killed a group of Islamic Jihad men Israel says are responsible for the murder of Tali Hatuel and her family, though I thought those men had been killed shortly after the event. Maybe these guys are being held responsible for the planning -- IJ leaders that they are.
IAF kills Jihad leaders in Gaza
An IAF combat helicopter flying over Gaza fired a missile towards a vehicle carrying the Palestinian terrorists.
According to an initial Zaka report, three people were reported killed in the air-attack, while two were said to be wounded.
The army announced that its forces carried out an interception of a car that was transporting Khalil and another man, Aya Latif Sheikh Khalil, who were the heads of Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.
According to the IDF, the killed terrorists were responsible for the murder of the Hatuel family in May of 2004.
Tali Hatuel and her four young daughters were gunned down at point blank range on the Kissufim road.
Hamas's militant parading and triumphalist promises to continue to cut throats (so to speak) seems to be moving up the story line entitled "consquences for the withdrawal" swiftly. We'll watch as it's written.
Update: Meryl fisks the media coverage.
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