Israeli Airstrike On Gaza Smuggling Tunnel Kills 3

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike on a smuggling tunnel between the Gaza Strip and Egypt killed three Palestinians inside and wounded seven on Tuesday in the deadliest Israeli attack on the volatile border area in months, a Palestinian Health Ministry official said.

The Israeli military said the air force struck in retaliation for a mortar attack from Gaza Monday into southern Israel that lightly wounded an Israeli soldier. The Israeli government has pledged a military response to every attack.

Fighting between Israel and Gaza militants has largely subsided since a fierce Israeli offensive in January, but Israel and Egypt have maintained a tight economic blockade of the coastal area to maintain pressure on the militant Hamas government.

In Gaza, the men killed and wounded were all smugglers caught in a tunnel during the pre-dawn Israeli strike, said Gaza Health Ministry official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain.

The prime minister of the Hamas government, Ismail Haniyeh, said such violence threatened to unravel an informal cease-fire that has largely held for seven months.

Hundreds of Gazans work in tunnels used to bring in goods not available in the seaside territory because of the blockade. Israel says Hamas uses the tunnels to smuggle in weapons and explosives.

Later Tuesday, the Israeli military said soldiers shot and lightly wounded a Palestinian who crossed into Israel from Gaza near the sensitive Nahal Oz fuel depot. He was taken to an Israeli hospital for treatment. The depot has been attacked by Gaza militants in the past.

As violence in Gaza was heating up, the leader of the Western-backed Palestinian government in the West Bank unveiled a development plan that calls for construction of an airport, international rail lines and an oil refinery over the next two years. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the projects would help pave the way for independence.

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The program reflected Palestinian frustration after years of on-again, off-again peace talks aimed at ending the decades-long conflict with Israel. With peacemaking efforts currently on hold, the Palestinians must move forward on their own, Fayyad said.

"We believe that full commitment to the state-building endeavor will advance our highest national priority of ending the (Israeli) occupation, thereby enabling us to live in freedom and dignity in a country of our own," he said.

It remained unclear how Fayyad, an internationally respected economist, expects to carry out the projects. Israel occupies the West Bank and would need to grant approval for major development projects. It was also unclear how Fayyad's cash-strapped government would finance construction.

Fayyad said further information would be given to the proper ministries as plans develop.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has grudgingly endorsed the concept a Palestinian state with limited powers, while supporting improving relations by strengthening the Palestinian economy.

Israel's deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, gave Fayyad's plan a cool reception.

"Neither artificial dates nor arbitrary deadlines are going to work," he said. "What is going to make a Palestinian state viable is the end of conflict, the end of all the Palestinian claims, meeting us halfway with political compromises, and, of course, sitting with us without preconditions."

The Palestinians have said they will not open negotiations until Israel halts all construction in Jewish settlements built on land claimed by the Palestinians. President Barack Obama has also called for a settlement freeze. The subject was expected to be the main topic in talks in London Tuesday between Netanyahu and Obama's Mideast envoy, George Mitchell.

The internal split between the rival Palestinian governments in Gaza and the West Bank has further complicated peace efforts, since the Palestinians hope to build their state in both territories.

Comments

[jordanispalestine]

One wonders WHY Egypt,a nation at peace with Israel, does not stop the tunnelling from their land by the Hamas terrorist organization???

[MemoryAlpha]

Observation:
Because otherwise the Palestinians would starve completely under the siege. Additionally, the smuggling is rather lucrative for Egyptian business interests.

[Spencaa]

I'm a zionist, I support Israel. I said it. I never considered myself a zionist, but you people seem to think they are the giant boogey men of the world. Go back in time and you'll find a nice place called Nazi Germany you'll all settle into quite well.

[MemoryAlpha]

Query:
The only country that has "taken [land and raw materials] in the East" and is seeking to "repopulate the land" while an "entire urban population" is "exterminated by starvation" is the country /you/ support.

Same old rhetoric, but the prior victim is now the aggressor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebensraum

[jordanispalestine]

LIAR!! ANYONE..like you..can change what is written in Wikipedia..hence ..like you...zero credibility!!

[DeniseA]

Israel is not exterminating anyone by starvation.
Israel is not an aggressor; she's very good at defending herself and keeping her people safe.
This article says that the population of Gaza is increasing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7891434.stm

[PunditBasher]

Until Israel ends the blockade there is no such thing as a smuggling tunnel in Palestine

That is how they get their food and supplies. The tunnels

If there were allowed to use their ports and roads perhaps the tunnel system would then be open to criticism, but not until then

[Spencaa]

It is how they get weapons. I hope Israel bombs them all into submission.

[MemoryAlpha]

Dictum:
Do not IN ANY WAY compare the Israeli desire to bomb the Palestinians "all into submission" to ANY European country. Das ist verboten.

[GZLives]

food and supplies ... that which is called humanitarian supplies are all sent through the crossings and have always been. Of course, your heroes Hamas grabs much of it and sells it back to their hostages - the people - but why let facts get in the way of your narrative.

As for using "their ports" perhaps you need to also ask the Egyptians why they don't open Rafah? That's the Gaza border on the Egyptian side which most of you NEVER mention because it just doesn't fit into your ... narrative.

The smuggling tunnels were bombed because Hamas made a move on the border and fired rockets or mortars at Israel and as they now have discovered, any aggressive move will be answered in kind - unlike the days of Olmert.where they could fire hundreds of rockets with NO response at all.

Those days are over ...

[MemoryAlpha]

Observation:
Most ports open onto large bodies of water, such as the Mediterranean Sea. Not onto neighboring countries, like Egypt. Perhaps you should consult a map.

[bermanator]

I doubt it was Hamas firing mortars, it was probably those Jund Ansar Allah nutjobs.

Fayyad: "We believe that full commitment to the state-building endeavor will advance our highest national priority of ending the (Israeli) occupation, thereby enabling us to live in freedom and dignity in a country of our own,"

He is absolutely right. If this was the approach the Palestinians had always taken, they would have had their state decades ago. I think he means what he says and I wish him luck in convincing his more militant constituency that violence isn't an intelligent option.

Another excellent quote from Fayyad: "The character of Israel, as the total character that Israel would like to have, is Israel's own choice. It characterizes itself in the way that it wishes to characterize itself. Why raise it now? Why would you want to settle it now when we haven't settled anything else? Needless to say, however which way Israel decides to characterize itself as a product of the political system of Israel, is [up to] Israel."

He is correct in both his assertions -- that Israel can define itself how it sees fit, and that Bibi was wrong in bringing a new issue to the bargaining table.

[MemoryAlpha]

Observation:
There are Israelis talking about how Jordanian land belongs to "Eretz Israel," let alone Palestinian land. The only thing that has prevented the Palestinians from having their own nation are the actions of European Zionists.

[pkafin]

Following the war in 1948, it was Egypt in Gaza and Jordan in the West Bank that set up refugee camps and specifically ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state. The idea that "European Zionists" blocked the formation of a Palestinian state from 1948 until 1967 is one lacking in both historical honesty and logic.

[jordanispalestine]

Yeah...about a hundred ..out of 6 million Jews living in Israel! There are many MORE Arabs saying ALL of Israel is Palestine...a new bend on the One-State Solution , I guess!! There are ALWAYS people of ANY group calling for the most radical of ideas. The problem is most Arabs favor the complete extermination of Israel and consider it, as you do, to be completely illigitimate!

[jordanispalestine]

Like YOU were there,huh??? What you THINK happened doesn't matter!

[DeniseA]

I thought Hamas had switched to making movies.
It's hard to believe they would still attack Israel after they've been defeated in the Gaza War.
I wonder why they don't attack Egypt. Egypt has sealed their border with Gaza too.
I believe that Israel would open their border with Gaza if Hamas would release Galid Shalit and stop attacking Israel. Hamas should do this ASAP and truly help their people.

[yaskeptik]

Right on,
Hamas is willing to fight Israelis to the last palestinian instead of trying to do anything to improve lives of the Pal people. Black September tought them not to attack other neighbors.
I could never understand how those who claim to care about Palestinians could support Hamases and Hizballahs and IJihads of the world.

[MemoryAlpha]

Query:
Because we aren't irrationally afraid of Muslims?

[MemoryAlpha]

Question:
"I wonder why they don't attack Egypt. Egypt has sealed their border with Gaza too."

Answer:
"The Rafah crossing was opened on 25 November 2005 and operated nearly daily until 25 June 2006.[1] Since then, it has been closed by Israel on 86% of days due to security reasons.[1] It was not opened for the export of goods.[1] In June 2007, it was closed entirely after the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip.

The EU Ambassador to Israel said that EUBAM monitors could not return to man the crossing because the legal basis for EUBAM - the November 2005 agreement on movement and access - specified that the terminal was to be manned by the Fatah-aligned Force 17, who were no longer there.[2]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafah_Border_Crossing

[jordanispalestine]

Reading the article completely­.....which the haters forgot to do...points out that the Hamas terrorist group fired a mortar at the Israelis..FIRST!! Israel responded !

[Progressneeded]

We don't have to read it to know that Israel will use that old tired argument again to find a way to destroy a tunnel that smuggles baby formula to besieged families!

[Spencaa]

You mean smuggles rockets to militants

[jordanispalestine]

No! Weaponry! What do you mean you "don't have to read it to know"...what??? The TRUTH! ??? You liberation theologists never let th truth and the facts get in your way! Geez..even HP ran the truth!!

[DeniseA]

Israel allows essential supplies through. Egypt has also blocked their border with Gaza. Funny no one complains about that.
GAZAN TERRORISTS SHOULD NOT BE FIRING AT ISRAEL. IT PUTS GAZAN CITIZENS AT RISK.

[shotei]

What strikes me is why wasn't there a news feed on the mortar shot at Israel, unprovokedly, that hit a military base? That was the cause of this attack. Obviously, this is only mentioned halfway through the article, hence, anyone who just read the title would think that Israel has resumed attacks on Gaza, which is the opposite of the truth.
All Hamas wants is to drag Israel into another conflict so that the international media will do exactly what was shown here; subtly blame Israel for the plight Palestinians have brought upon themselves.

[myopinion2]

Ah, you want neutral evenhandedness. Unfortunately thats a rare commodity when it comes to the I/P conflict/tragedy.

[shotei]

Neutrality is arguably an impossible achievement. I want at least that news be given the same priority. But, ah, guess it will never happen. "IDF strikes Gaza again" will sell more than "Rockets fired from Gaza wound Israelis". It's scary to think the value of life is relative to some people.