IDF amasses troops along northern Gaza Strip border

Israel Defense Forces troops began amassing along the northern Gaza Strip border on Saturday, threatening military if Qassam strikes continue. At a consultation Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz conducted Saturday with IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Dan Halutz and Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin regarding a broader arsenal of responses, it was decided to continue air strikes on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets, while focusing on the Qassam launching network. Mofaz said that there must be a crushing Israeli response to the rocket attacks and ordered increased arrest operations against Hamas and Jihad militants in the West Bank. Intelligence sources present at Saturday’s meeting said that the blast Friday at a Hamas rally in Gaza was likely the result of a work accident. The Israel Air Force launched three air strikes on buildings in the Gaza Strip early Saturday in the first air attacks since Israel completed its pullout from Gaza last week, the IDF said. Palestinian hospital officials said three people were lightly injured in the IAF operation. The air strikes came after Palestinians launched 26 Qassam rockets at targets in Israel, 21 of which landed in the western Negev town of Sderot, wounding five Israelis, one moderately and the others lightly, the army said. Six others were treated for shock. Two rockets were fired at an IDF base near the Gaza security fence, another landed in Kibbutz Kissufim, and another landed in an open field in the area. Also, an anti-tank rocket was fired at IDF troops along Gaza border. Hamas said the Qassam attack was in response to Friday’s blast at a Gaza City rally organized by the militant group, in which 19 people were killed. The IDF announced Saturday that it had sealed off the West Bank, Jordan Valley and Gaza Strip in response to the Qassam attacks, Israel Radio reported. The IDF said the air strikes targeted three Hamas weapons facilities, a weapons warehouse in the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, a weapons factory in Gaza City and another weapons warehouse in Gaza City. One missile landed in an empty field near an abandoned workshop where militants used to make homemade rockets in Gaza City, according to security officials. The owner of the workshop, Mahed Abu Assi, 42, denied that it was used to produce weapons. The second airstrike hit a garage outside the house of a Hamas militant. The third landed outside the house of an Islamic Jihad militant in Gaza City. „The [IDF] will continue to act with determination to protect the citizens of Israel,” the army said in a statement after the air strikes Saturday. Hamas spokesman Mushir al Masri promised retaliation for the airstrikes. The casualties in the Qassam attack on Sderot were civil guard volunteers who were hurt by shrapnel, Israel Radio reported. One of them was moderately wounded, the others lightly. They were taken for treatment to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. One Qassam fell next to a sports hall in the center of town. Others fell on a school, a factory and a residential building, none of which caused any injuries. On Friday, Palestinians fired three Qassam rockets at Sderot. They landed in an open field and caused no injuries. Islamic Jihad took responsibility for Friday’s attack, claiming it fired 10 homemade rockets toward Sderot. The militant group said the rockets were launched in retaliation for the killing of three Islamic Jihad leaders in Tul Karm earlier in the day. The three rocket-firing incidents were the first since Israel completed its withdrawal from Gaza bringing an end to 38 years of military rule. The last time Palestinians fired Qassam rockets was while IDF forces were withdrawing from the Strip last week. Mofaz said following the completion of the pullout that Israel would apply a „zero tolerance” policy against Qassam fire and other terror attacks from the Strip. Also on the last day of the withdrawal, a second incident occurred along the northern Gaza border, near Netiv Ha’asara, when dozens of Palestinian youngsters threw stones into Israel near the security fence. IDF Chief of Staff Major General Dan Halutz hinted this week that Hamas is on the verge of producing a new Qassam rocket with a 15-kilometer range. The new rocket would endanger many communities in the south, including Ashkelon. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Sycamore Ranch could also be at risk. In an interview with Halochem, a magazine for disabled IDF veterans, Halutz said „days would tell” whether the terror organizations could launch Qassam rockets into Israel more easily. BPI-info