Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Gaza on Friday afternoon. They were engaged in providing protection for soldiers searching for the remains of soldiers killed two days before.
The two were killed by Palestinian sniper fire in Rafiach. One of the soldiers had taken up a position in a five-story building. An elderly woman in the building complained that she was thirsty, and the soldier finally agreed to accompany her to the first floor for water. He thus left his protected position and went to an unprotected spot. Snipers shot and killed him, and then opened fire on other soldiers who went to rescue him. In all, two soldiers were killed, and two were moderately wounded. The latter were taken to Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva, where the condition of one has improved to "light."
IDF Gaza Commander Brig.-Gen. Shmuel Zakkai said that he had no criticism of the soldiers' behavior: "They understood that they couldn't keep a family without food, and they acted in an ethical manner."
The two soldiers were Sgt. Alexei Chayat, 20, of Be'er Sheva, and Sgt. Rotem Adam, 21, of Rishon LeTzion. Rotem was to be buried at 3 AM Sunday morning. Alexei immigrated to Israel on his own three years ago, and was followed a year later by his sister. Their mother died a while ago, and their father, who visited his children six weeks ago on a Jewish Agency program, still lives in Russia. The sister said, "Alexei immigrated to here, died here, and he will be buried here."
In the meantime, a Supreme Court ruling has put an end to the IDF's efforts to make Rafiach a safer place for Israeli soldiers. Justice Eliyahu Matza issued a restraining order late last night, banning the army from carrying out its plans to wide the Philadelphi Route along the Israeli-Egyptian border in southern Gaza. Only building that can be proven to have housed terrorists perpetrating shooting attacks can be knocked down. Rafiach residents had filed a suit against the army and its plans to raze dozens of buildings in an area used by terrorists to shoot at Israeli forces. Army officers explained that the terrorists use the buildings, as well as mosques, to shoot at Israeli forces, and use children and ambulances to "protect" their movements. Another hearing will be held on Sunday.
Before the Court ruling was issued, the army succeeded in destroying 116 structures, many of them uninhabited, over the past few days. 1,160 people were left without a home, according to the civil rights organization B'Tzelem.
MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) accused the Supreme Court of issuing a ruling that aids the enemy and endangers IDF soldiers.
The remains of a fourth soldier, Lt. Aviv Hakami, have been identified. Of the five soldiers killed in the missile attack at an explosives-laden armored personnel carrier on Wednesday, four have now been identified - the other three were buried yesterday - and efforts continue in the quest to identify the remains of Sgt. Zohar Smeilov, 20, of Ofakim.
The IDF attacked several targets in Gaza over the weekend, destroying a weapons manufacturing lab, an Islamic Jihad "research center," and more.
Tens of thousands of people crowded in Tel Aviv tonight to demand a withdrawal from Gaza. Opposition leader MK Shimon Peres said that Israel must withdraw even from the tunnels-saturated Philadelphi Route. Likud MK Ehud Yatom joined the chorus of those criticizing the timing of the event, taking place as the identification and burial of fallen soldiers continues.
The two were killed by Palestinian sniper fire in Rafiach. One of the soldiers had taken up a position in a five-story building. An elderly woman in the building complained that she was thirsty, and the soldier finally agreed to accompany her to the first floor for water. He thus left his protected position and went to an unprotected spot. Snipers shot and killed him, and then opened fire on other soldiers who went to rescue him. In all, two soldiers were killed, and two were moderately wounded. The latter were taken to Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva, where the condition of one has improved to "light."
IDF Gaza Commander Brig.-Gen. Shmuel Zakkai said that he had no criticism of the soldiers' behavior: "They understood that they couldn't keep a family without food, and they acted in an ethical manner."
The two soldiers were Sgt. Alexei Chayat, 20, of Be'er Sheva, and Sgt. Rotem Adam, 21, of Rishon LeTzion. Rotem was to be buried at 3 AM Sunday morning. Alexei immigrated to Israel on his own three years ago, and was followed a year later by his sister. Their mother died a while ago, and their father, who visited his children six weeks ago on a Jewish Agency program, still lives in Russia. The sister said, "Alexei immigrated to here, died here, and he will be buried here."
In the meantime, a Supreme Court ruling has put an end to the IDF's efforts to make Rafiach a safer place for Israeli soldiers. Justice Eliyahu Matza issued a restraining order late last night, banning the army from carrying out its plans to wide the Philadelphi Route along the Israeli-Egyptian border in southern Gaza. Only building that can be proven to have housed terrorists perpetrating shooting attacks can be knocked down. Rafiach residents had filed a suit against the army and its plans to raze dozens of buildings in an area used by terrorists to shoot at Israeli forces. Army officers explained that the terrorists use the buildings, as well as mosques, to shoot at Israeli forces, and use children and ambulances to "protect" their movements. Another hearing will be held on Sunday.
Before the Court ruling was issued, the army succeeded in destroying 116 structures, many of them uninhabited, over the past few days. 1,160 people were left without a home, according to the civil rights organization B'Tzelem.
MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) accused the Supreme Court of issuing a ruling that aids the enemy and endangers IDF soldiers.
The remains of a fourth soldier, Lt. Aviv Hakami, have been identified. Of the five soldiers killed in the missile attack at an explosives-laden armored personnel carrier on Wednesday, four have now been identified - the other three were buried yesterday - and efforts continue in the quest to identify the remains of Sgt. Zohar Smeilov, 20, of Ofakim.
The IDF attacked several targets in Gaza over the weekend, destroying a weapons manufacturing lab, an Islamic Jihad "research center," and more.
Tens of thousands of people crowded in Tel Aviv tonight to demand a withdrawal from Gaza. Opposition leader MK Shimon Peres said that Israel must withdraw even from the tunnels-saturated Philadelphi Route. Likud MK Ehud Yatom joined the chorus of those criticizing the timing of the event, taking place as the identification and burial of fallen soldiers continues.