The attack came just as Israel's plans to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza appear closer than ever to fruition, as plans for a national unity government proceed apace.
The attack began at 5:30 yesterday (Sunday) evening when a tremendous explosion was heard under an IDF outpost astride Israel's border with Egypt, on the line known as the Philadelphi Route. Two suicide terrorists blew themselves up, detonating well over a ton of explosives inside a tunnel they had dug under the outpost. The tunnel partially collapsed, bringing part of the outpost down with it. Two soldiers in their room, as well as a soldier on guard duty on a tower, were buried under the earth and rubble, and others were hurt as well.
Two Palestinian terrorists then attacked the outpost from another angle, killing two soldiers and wounding several others before the troops were able to respond. One of the wounded soldiers killed a terrorist, and another was forced to flee empty-handed just as he tried to snatch away the body of one of the dead soldiers. All the while, and during the ensuing hours of ongoing rescue efforts above the collapsed tunnel, mortar shells were fired at the outpost. The onslaught impeded the rescue efforts; one soldier was finally found in serious condition after being trapped for two hours in the exploded tunnel.
It was later estimated that many terrorists had worked for months digging the 400-meter (quarter-mile) tunnel from the PA-controlled city of Rafiah towards the outpost. Intelligence warnings of a possible attack had been received, but test-digs around the outpost discovered nothing.
The five soldiers who were killed are: Sgt. Adham Shehada, 19, and Hussein Abu Leil, 23, both from villages near Nazareth in the Galilee; Sgt. Tarek Al-Ziadana, 20, from Rahat in the Negev; Sgt. Aref Azberge, 20, from the Negev village of Keseife; and Sgt. Said Jahga, 19, from Arara. They were buried today in civilian, not military, ceremonies in their respective hometowns.
Six other soldiers were wounded, including four in serious condition. All were flown to Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva.
The murderous bombing-shelling bombardment supports claims by military sources that the "disengagement" plan currently on the table would give a "back wind" to terrorism. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon said two years ago that abandoning Netzarim, a pioneering Jewish town in Gaza, would give a "supportive wind to terrorism." NRP Chairman MK Brig.-Gen. (res.) Effie Eitam, a former IDF Galilee Formation Commander, said the same recently about the disengagement plan.
Prime Minister Sharon will meet this afternoon with Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon in an attempt to come up with short-range and long-range solutions to the tunnels problem. The security establishment is concerned not only about the dangers posed by the terrorist tunnel-diggers, but also about the threat to the sense of security supposedly provided by the partition fence.
Gaza Coast Regional Head Avner Shimoni, responding to one of many recent spates of Kassam rockets and mortar shells fired at southern Jewish towns, said:
"Sharon's disengagement plan gives a supportive wind to terrorism, and therefore [the terrorists] are intensifying their shooting on Gush Katif and the Negev. We will not be able to live peacefully anywhere in Israel until we fight terrorism with determination."
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and defense officials recently stated that the IDF will soon be working together with Palestinian Authority security forces, allowing them control of certain areas, in an effort to “test” the PA’s ability to control terror. Sharon has also declared that he will not allow his expulsion plan to take place under fire – though local residents say he has "tied the army's hands" in not allowing it to respond effectively to months of constant shelling of their homes.
Shortly after yesterday's murderous assault, Gaza Arabs celebrated in the streets, as they have done following many terrorist attacks in the past.
Palestinian terrorists perpetrated many other attacks against Israeli targets today, including at least seven mortar shells fired at Jewish communities in Gaza (one building was damaged), firebombs thrown at a car near Nachaliel north of Jerusalem, shooting at IDF positions in the south, two anti-tank rockets at an army post near Atzmona, and a bomb placed near an IDF position along the Israeli-Egyptian border. No one was hurt in these attacks.
The attack began at 5:30 yesterday (Sunday) evening when a tremendous explosion was heard under an IDF outpost astride Israel's border with Egypt, on the line known as the Philadelphi Route. Two suicide terrorists blew themselves up, detonating well over a ton of explosives inside a tunnel they had dug under the outpost. The tunnel partially collapsed, bringing part of the outpost down with it. Two soldiers in their room, as well as a soldier on guard duty on a tower, were buried under the earth and rubble, and others were hurt as well.
Two Palestinian terrorists then attacked the outpost from another angle, killing two soldiers and wounding several others before the troops were able to respond. One of the wounded soldiers killed a terrorist, and another was forced to flee empty-handed just as he tried to snatch away the body of one of the dead soldiers. All the while, and during the ensuing hours of ongoing rescue efforts above the collapsed tunnel, mortar shells were fired at the outpost. The onslaught impeded the rescue efforts; one soldier was finally found in serious condition after being trapped for two hours in the exploded tunnel.
...terrorists had worked for months digging the 400-meter (quarter-mile) tunnel...
It was later estimated that many terrorists had worked for months digging the 400-meter (quarter-mile) tunnel from the PA-controlled city of Rafiah towards the outpost. Intelligence warnings of a possible attack had been received, but test-digs around the outpost discovered nothing.
The five soldiers who were killed are: Sgt. Adham Shehada, 19, and Hussein Abu Leil, 23, both from villages near Nazareth in the Galilee; Sgt. Tarek Al-Ziadana, 20, from Rahat in the Negev; Sgt. Aref Azberge, 20, from the Negev village of Keseife; and Sgt. Said Jahga, 19, from Arara. They were buried today in civilian, not military, ceremonies in their respective hometowns.
Six other soldiers were wounded, including four in serious condition. All were flown to Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva.
The murderous bombing-shelling bombardment supports claims by military sources that the "disengagement" plan currently on the table would give a "back wind" to terrorism. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon said two years ago that abandoning Netzarim, a pioneering Jewish town in Gaza, would give a "supportive wind to terrorism." NRP Chairman MK Brig.-Gen. (res.) Effie Eitam, a former IDF Galilee Formation Commander, said the same recently about the disengagement plan.
Prime Minister Sharon will meet this afternoon with Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon in an attempt to come up with short-range and long-range solutions to the tunnels problem. The security establishment is concerned not only about the dangers posed by the terrorist tunnel-diggers, but also about the threat to the sense of security supposedly provided by the partition fence.
Gaza Coast Regional Head Avner Shimoni, responding to one of many recent spates of Kassam rockets and mortar shells fired at southern Jewish towns, said:
"Sharon's disengagement plan gives a supportive wind to terrorism, and therefore [the terrorists] are intensifying their shooting on Gush Katif and the Negev. We will not be able to live peacefully anywhere in Israel until we fight terrorism with determination."
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and defense officials recently stated that the IDF will soon be working together with Palestinian Authority security forces, allowing them control of certain areas, in an effort to “test” the PA’s ability to control terror. Sharon has also declared that he will not allow his expulsion plan to take place under fire – though local residents say he has "tied the army's hands" in not allowing it to respond effectively to months of constant shelling of their homes.
Shortly after yesterday's murderous assault, Gaza Arabs celebrated in the streets, as they have done following many terrorist attacks in the past.
Palestinian terrorists perpetrated many other attacks against Israeli targets today, including at least seven mortar shells fired at Jewish communities in Gaza (one building was damaged), firebombs thrown at a car near Nachaliel north of Jerusalem, shooting at IDF positions in the south, two anti-tank rockets at an army post near Atzmona, and a bomb placed near an IDF position along the Israeli-Egyptian border. No one was hurt in these attacks.