News Brief08:35 AM

(IsraelNN.com) Palestinian Authority officials have accused Israel of attempting to sabotage negotiations by staging counter-terrorism operations in Gaza.  “This operation is a severe blow to the PA leadership,” one said.  At least eight terrorists were killed in an operation on Tuesday aimed at fighting rocket and mortar shell attacks from the region.

Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office rejected the accusations, saying that the operation would have been criticized at other times as well.  If Israel were to constantly push off counter-terrorism operations due to diplomatic events, the source said, “then we’ll wake up one day in the future and face a much bigger problem in Gaza that will be even more difficult to deal with.”