TruthNews

Palestinian Mortar Squad Breaches Gaza Truce

International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, 24 Jun 2008

Palestinian terrorists fired a mortar shell into Israel early Tuesday, breaching the Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and Palestinian factions that went into effect last week.

The mortar shell reportedly landed on open ground near a community in the western Negev and no injuries or damages have been reported. The IDF did not launch any immediate response to the first breach of the Gaza truce, but expects Hamas to rein in any renegade elements not abiding by the ceasefire terms.

Since the truce went into effect last Thursday, Israeli officials have expressed more concern with continued weapons smuggling into Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the London Arabic newspaper Al-Sharq this week that if the smuggling of weapons does not cease, Israel will consider it a violation of the cease-fire arrangement and will respond militarily.

Later Tuesday morning, IDF forces in the West Bank killed two Palestinian gunmen during an arrest raid in Nablus. The IDF reported that the armed Palestinians, identified as Hamas operative Iad Hanfar and senior Islamic Jihad terrorist Taker Abu Rali, were planning an attack on Israel and were killed when resisting arrest. Following the incident, Islamic Jihad released a statement from the West Bank vowing to avenge Abu Rali's death.

Although a cease-fire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas last week, the deal currently covers Gaza only, leaving the IDF free to operate in the West Bank.

Islamic Jihad said it would abide by the cease-fire in Gaza, however the group insisted on its right to "respond to the Zionist violations" of the truce -- which Abu Ahmed reported to Ha'aretz last week would include "any aggression, in the Gaza Strip or West Bank."

In Gaza, Hamas operative Fawzi Barhoum accused Israel of trying to disrupt the calm that lasted since Thursday morning. "The resistance factions in the West Bank have the full right to respond to this crime," said Barhoum.