Monday, July 03, 2006

The clock is ticking on a Palestinian ultimatum....the latest from the Middle East

The Palestinians have rejected any release of hostage Gilad Shalit, and have given Israel an ultimatum: either Israel complies with its demands by 6AM local time July 4th or "If the enemy does not agree to our humanitarian demands, we will regard the case as closed....the enemy will bear full responsibility for future consequences."

They have demanded that Israel immediately withdraw from Gaza and release 1,500 terrorists from Israeli custody, including the Hamas ministers and legislators.

"The Israeli government will not bow to blackmail by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas which are ruled by murderous terrorist groups and will not negotiate the release of prisoners,” the Israeli statement says. Moreover, "the PA is fully responsible for Gilead Shalit’s safety and his return in good health to his family."

Every Israeli soldier captured and held by the Arabs has been killed.

The Israelis continue to strike Palestinian tsrgets and wait for the final go-ahead from the Olmert government.

The IAF launched an air strike in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza late Monday night,
killing at least one Hamas gunman and wounding several others. This is where many of the Qassams launched at Israel have come from.

The Hamas man, Ismail al-Masri, 19, was a member of the Izzadin al-Kassam, the group's military wing.

Shortly after that, IAF aircraft hit a building at the Islamic University in Gaza city early Tuesday, Palestinians said. Black smoke rose from the building, set on fire in the attack. The University is a Hamas stronghold and a weapons manufacturing site.

In another productive move,the IDF troops stormed Dawa charity offices in Hebron, Nablus and Bethlehem and seized documents connected to the Hamas-affiliated organizations. The Dawa charities are fronts for the transfer of funds to Hamas for terrorism and have links to US and EU charities that have been funneling money to Hamas. I'm sure the records will prove very interesting, both to Israel and the US government.

Also, in Ramallah, the IDF arrested the three Fatah Aksa Martyrs Brigades terrorists who kidnapped and murdered teenager Eliyahu Asheri last week after a three-hour standoff. The killers were holed up in the Palestinian Authority Police building in the West Bank city. There was a gun battle between the IDF and a mixed force of al Aksa Martyrs gunmen and Palestinian Authority policemen who tried to protect the terrorists. The IDF didn't sustain any casualties, but apparently several Palestinians were shot down in the fracus.

Asheri disappeared Sunday night as he hitchhiked to meet fellow students for a hike.

OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh said last Thursday that Asheri was murdered by his kidnappers approximately one hour after he was abducted. 'There was no attempt by the kidnappers to negotiate his release while he was alive,' Naveh said.

Stay tuned...

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