Mortar falls near fuel tanker at Nachal Oz
Mortar falls near fuel tanker at Nachal OzIsrael News Photo: Flash 90

Over sixty-five percent of Arabs in Gaza support continued suicide bombings against Israeli civilians, according to a report released Monday by the Arab Jerusalem Media and Communication Center. Sixty-nine percent are "pessimistic" or "very pessimistic" about reaching any peaceful settlement with Israel.

The poll also found that half of the Arabs who live in Gaza have positive feelings about PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, whose Hamas party won significantly in the most recent elections. This, even though 81 percent of them believe economic conditions have deteriorated under his leadership.

Nearly 50 percent of Gaza's civilians feel that launching rockets at Israeli civilians is a "useful" means of terrorism. Only 31.4 percent believe that firing rockets on Israel is "futile."

The above results are based on interviews with a representative sampling of 439 Arabs from Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israel is allowing the transfer of hundreds of truckloads of food and supplies per week into Gaza via the crossings that have been attacked five times in the last tens days alone.

Remains of one of the car bombs detonated at the Kerem Shalom crossing Saturday morning

Photo: IDF Spokesman

A source in the Israel-Gaza Coordination office explained that the UN and the World Food Program donate most of the food supplies Israel lets through.. The equipment is largely ordered from Israeli factories and paid for by Gazan Arab wholesalers. "Israel sees an interest in keeping the local Gazan economy alive," said the source, "despite the constant attacks on Israel."

The last two weeks of supplies to Gaza Arabs are documented below, with the terror attacks on those transfer points interspersed chronologically:

  • Friday, April 18, 48 truckloads of supplies including meat, fish, medical equipment, wheelchairs, baby bottles, etc were allowed to pass through the the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Less than 24 hours later, on Saturday, April 19, Gazan Arabs bombed that crossing site, using two vehicles filled with explosives. The potential mass-murder and kidnapping attempt wounded 13 IDF soldiers. A third car bomb in the attack did not explode. A fourth car bomb was detonated by IDF forces at a different location before it reached its target.

Two of the cars used in the attack were made to appear to be IDF vehicles; the third car was an armored vehicle. The IDF spokesman is investigating whether the armored vehicle was one of the many  Israel authorized to be transferred to Gaza.

The armored vehicle laden with explosives which was detonated by a suicide bomber at Kerem Shalom crossing on Saturday

Photo: IDF spokesman
  • Thursday, April 17, the IDF allowed 44 truckloads of goods in  to Gaza via the Nachal Oz and Kerem Shalom crossings.



    On the same day, an Arab sniper opened fire at IDF forces at the Nachal Oz crossing, and the IDF thwarted a terrorist infiltration attempt at the Kerem Shalom crossing.

  • Wednesday, April 16, the IDF sent 194 trucks of supplies to Gaza via the Sufa, Kerem Shalom, and Karni crossings.



    On the same day, 3 IDF soldiers were killed by Gaza terrorists near the partition fence.

  • Tuesday, April 15, the IDF transfered 189 truckloads of supplies to Gaza, including medical and electric equipment, diapers, basic food products, soap, and meat. The supplies came through the Karni, Kerem Shalom and Sufa crossings.

  • Monday, April 14, the IDF transferred 107 truckloads of staples to Gaza including medical and electric equipment, sewage pumps, and basic food supplies via the Sufa and Kerem Shalom crossings.

  • Sunday, April 13, the IDF transferred 121 truckloads of supplies to Gazan Arabs including rice, sugar, oil, fruit, and dairy products via the Sufa and Kerem Shalom crossings.

  • Thursday, April 10, the IDF announced that 4 million liters of gasoline were being transferred to Gaza every week via the Nachal Oz crossing.
Mortar shell falls near fuel truck at Nachal Oz crossing on April 9, 2008

Israel News Photo: Flash 90
 

That same day, 130 truckloads of supplies were sent to Gaza.

  • Wednesday, April 9, the IDF transferred 183 truckloads of medical equipment, baby food, and basic food supplies via the Sufa, Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings.



    That same day, Gaza terrorists killed two Israeli civilians and wounded two others at the Nachal Oz crossing.  Those four were workers at the terminal who actively helped transfer fuel and free supplies into Gaza.



    Still on that same Wednesday, Islamic terrorists killed an IDF soldier in southern Gaza and wounded two others.

  • Tuesday, April 8, the IDF transferred 127 truckloads of medical equipment, diapers, and basic food products into Gaza via the Sufa and Kerem Shalom crossings. . That same day, the IDF discovered a 3-1/2 meter deep tunnel shaft in a house close to the partition fence in northern Gaza which was being dug for a terrorist infiltration.

  • Monday, April 7, the IDF transferred 128 truckloads of medicine, medical equipment, vitamins, meat, and tea via the Sufa and Kerem Shalom crossings.

  • Sunday, April 6, the IDF transferred 97 truckloads of medicine, spices, hygiene and cleaning products via the Sufa, Kerem Shalom, and Karni crossings.



    That was just two days after Gazan Arabs opened fire at a group of civilians near Kibbutz Nir Am, moderately wounding one.