Six of Hamas' finest were killed today when IDF foiled an attempt to kidnap Israeli soldiers at an army post in Israel near the Kissufim Crossing into the central Gaza Strip.
The Hamas raiders were traveling in two cars, heavily armed.
Golani Brigade troops backed up by IAF aircraft, tracked the jihadis and fired on the two cars as they prepared to smash through the border fence.
A spokesman for Islamic Jihad, Abu Ahmed, issued a statement saying a pickup truck driven by Palestinians crashed through the fence in central Gaza, allowing an armored jeep to drive through. Must be one of those armored jeeps given to Abbas courtesy of the US taxpayers.
Earlier today, four Hamas gunmen were killed and 12 wounded as IDF troops backed by tanks and bulldozers crossed into southern Gaza to strike at Palestinian missile launching sites, and there were reports of gunbattles in Khan Yunis.
Hamas admitted to ten wounded fighters.
Bechatzlechah, shomerim. Nice job of rodent control.
It still remains to be seen how the Israelis plan to handle the ongoing rocket attacks from Hamas and Islamic Jihad originating from Gaza.
Most of their military experts are saying that it's impossible without retaking the Gaza Strip. I've already written why I think it's a bad idea unless the Israelis plan to do a thorough job of it, annex the Strip and expel most of the Arab population from the area.
Of course, retaking Gaza would be a tacit admission that Olmert and and the rest of the Israeli Left were really really wrong to expel the Jews of Gaza from their homes and are wrong about their plans to expel Jews living in Judea and Samaria..so I doubt that reoccupying Gaza will happen.
The best plan, in my opinion would be to inform Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the world publicly that the next attack on Israel, no matter who was responsible would be met with deadly force and a protracted strike directed against the Hamas and Islamic Jihad facilities, infrastructure and leadership, without regard for civilian casualties. And to follow up on it the next time a rocket is launched towards Israel.
That would obtain the desired result, one way or the other, and avoid the necessity of babysitting a large Arab population.
Meanwhile, defense minister Ehud Barak is saying that the IDF is nearing `a large Gaza operation' , whatever that means.
Olmert is dead set against it, at least until the Munich-style surrender to Abbas he has planned for the November peace conference is over and done with.
Stay tuned....
I agree with you 100%. It's a little like managing a 4 year old. You warn them they get a time out, but then you have to give them a time out.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of time outs, when is Olmert going to get one???