Brig.-Gen. Yisrael Ziv, local IDF commander in Gaza, said that the mission was critical in "showing once again that there is no terrorist stronghold that is exempt from our forces' activities. Most of the mortar shells over the past weeks and months, as well as the attempts to infiltrate the Jewish communities, originated from the neighborhood that we targeted today."
Opposition head MK Yossi Sarid (Meretz) criticized the Israeli action because of the killing of "innocent civilians," while MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) said that the pilot who fired the missile should receive a medal for preventing casualties to the IDF force. Minister of Infrastructures Effie Eitam, speaking on Arutz-7, said: "Nothing went wrong. We have reached the point where Gaza, too, is no longer a safe haven for terrorists. We won't hit Arafat himself, in deference to the American war plans in Iraq, but under no circumstances will we give up our war against the terrorist infrastructures."
PA senior Saeb Erekat, ignoring the anti-terrorist nature of Israel's raid, called upon the international community to "protect the Palestinians," and said that Israel was carrying out "war crimes" in order to thwart the European Union's "efforts to revive the peace process." The EU's Javier Solana is to meet with Yasser Arafat today in Ramallah, despite Israel's objections; it is not clear how the meeting might "revive the peace process," as Israel does not consider Arafat a legitimate negotiating partner.
Shortly afterwards, a leading PA policeman, Rajeh Abu Lihya, was shot and killed by masked men in Gaza City. The Palestinian Authority blamed Hamas, and soon afterwards a gun battle erupted between PA police and members of the Hamas military wing, in which two Arabs were killed. Quiet has not yet been restored to the area.
Opposition head MK Yossi Sarid (Meretz) criticized the Israeli action because of the killing of "innocent civilians," while MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) said that the pilot who fired the missile should receive a medal for preventing casualties to the IDF force. Minister of Infrastructures Effie Eitam, speaking on Arutz-7, said: "Nothing went wrong. We have reached the point where Gaza, too, is no longer a safe haven for terrorists. We won't hit Arafat himself, in deference to the American war plans in Iraq, but under no circumstances will we give up our war against the terrorist infrastructures."
PA senior Saeb Erekat, ignoring the anti-terrorist nature of Israel's raid, called upon the international community to "protect the Palestinians," and said that Israel was carrying out "war crimes" in order to thwart the European Union's "efforts to revive the peace process." The EU's Javier Solana is to meet with Yasser Arafat today in Ramallah, despite Israel's objections; it is not clear how the meeting might "revive the peace process," as Israel does not consider Arafat a legitimate negotiating partner.
Shortly afterwards, a leading PA policeman, Rajeh Abu Lihya, was shot and killed by masked men in Gaza City. The Palestinian Authority blamed Hamas, and soon afterwards a gun battle erupted between PA police and members of the Hamas military wing, in which two Arabs were killed. Quiet has not yet been restored to the area.