In the wake of the fatal Saturday morning bomb attack on an Israeli tank near Dugit, which killed four soldiers, dozens of Israeli tanks and foot soldiers entered PA-controlled Gaza earlier this morning. The maneuver appears to be the beginning of a retaliatory operation. It is not clear what the IDF is planning for Gaza, but yesterday Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz warned that Israeli retaliation would be painful. Overnight, in northern Gaza, a military force destroyed the home of one of the Hamas terrorists involved in the attack.
IDF brigade commander, Colonel Yoel Strick stated on Sunday that Saturday morning's fatal attack against a tank was avoidable. While Strick would not detail findings of the ongoing investigation, he stated with certainty that the detonation of the 150kg bomb that claimed the lives of the four-man tank crew was avoidable. It was announced earlier on Sunday that for unknown reasons, the tank veered to the left, failing to follow the tracks of the D9 armored bulldozer escort, leading to the detonation of the powerful bomb.
On Sunday afternoon, after six Hamas terrorists were killed in an explosion in the Zeitoun area of PA-controlled Gaza, the Hamas accused Israel of carrying out another retaliatory assassination of its members. The terrorists killed were involved in the assembly of a drone pilotless aircraft when the explosion occurred. According to reports from Gaza, the Hamas was planning to use the remote-controlled drone craft to carry out an attack against an Israeli target. Also notable was that among the dead terrorists was Nidal Farkhat, a senior Hamas member whose brother was responsible for the attack against the IDF preparatory yeshiva in Atzmona on 7 March 2002. Five students were murdered and over 20 wounded in that attack. IDF sources refuse to confirm the Hamas claims.
IDF brigade commander, Colonel Yoel Strick stated on Sunday that Saturday morning's fatal attack against a tank was avoidable. While Strick would not detail findings of the ongoing investigation, he stated with certainty that the detonation of the 150kg bomb that claimed the lives of the four-man tank crew was avoidable. It was announced earlier on Sunday that for unknown reasons, the tank veered to the left, failing to follow the tracks of the D9 armored bulldozer escort, leading to the detonation of the powerful bomb.
On Sunday afternoon, after six Hamas terrorists were killed in an explosion in the Zeitoun area of PA-controlled Gaza, the Hamas accused Israel of carrying out another retaliatory assassination of its members. The terrorists killed were involved in the assembly of a drone pilotless aircraft when the explosion occurred. According to reports from Gaza, the Hamas was planning to use the remote-controlled drone craft to carry out an attack against an Israeli target. Also notable was that among the dead terrorists was Nidal Farkhat, a senior Hamas member whose brother was responsible for the attack against the IDF preparatory yeshiva in Atzmona on 7 March 2002. Five students were murdered and over 20 wounded in that attack. IDF sources refuse to confirm the Hamas claims.