The Engineer Corps crossed about 150 feet beyond the Gaza separation barrier following the Israeli government's recent order to halt all contacts and coordination with the new Hamas-run Palestinian Authority (PA). Previously, Israel relied on the PA to search for and neutralize explosive devices planted by terrorists. The soldiers left the area after several hours and did not find any explosives.
Thursday's operation marks a change in government policy. Senior officers in the Southern Command noted that similar brief incursions are likely but emphasized, "We are not talking about a ground operation."
Islamic Jihad terrorist leader Sheikh Nafez Azzam agreed today that the IDF is not likely to conduct a large-scale incursion, despite growing pressure within IDF ranks to comb Gaza and put a stop to Kassam rocket attacks. Azzam explained "Israel pulled out from Gaza forcibly" to evade more losses.
After last summer's expulsion of Gaza's Jews and destruction of their towns, politicians expressed confidence that Israel's unilateral retreat would lead to peace and calm in the region. Shimon Peres, who then was Vice Prime Minister, said the withdrawal "opens a new chapter for the peace process...What happened in Gaza is a pilot plan."
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told Voice of Israel radio last November, following the IDF withdrawal, that the PA has "abandoned the way of terrorism."
At the same location of Thursday's incursion, IDF soldiers killed two armed terrorists on Wednesday, the eve of Passover. The Arabs were spotted crawling toward the separation barrier. A tank fired a shell at them, followed shortly by an aerial attack which hit them. The terrorists were identified as members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, affiliated with the Fatah party of PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).
Military officials surmise that the Arabs planned to either ambush a passing IDF patrol or carry out an attack against a nearby Israeli town.