Happy New Year to you all. Before we get too far into other activities, we thought we'd leave you with an excellent series of videos of Brigitte Gabriel discussing radical Islam at the Heritage Foundation. Gabriel is a Christian Lebanese-American journalist, author and activist. She is the founder of the American Congress For Truth, a conservative think tank. The videos will take just under an hour to go through.
Security sources tell us that in an Israeli arrest operation today in Silat A Hartiya, northwest of Jenin, two wanted Islamic Jihad terrorists, Salah Hafed Mahmud Suafta and Husam Mahmud Ibrahim Isah, were killed. During the attempt to arrest them, the two opened fire at security forces, sparking heavy exchanges of fire in which they were killed. Two rifles, protective vests and large amounts of ammunition were found by their bodies. The two were receiving instructions and funds from the Islamic Jihad Command in Syria in order to carry out a suicide bombing.
Last month, a suicide bombing spearheaded by the two was prevented thanks to the arrest of Sahmer Suafta, Salah's brother. By this time, Salah Suafta had already recruited a bomber, filmed his statement and instructed him on the use of the explosive belt. Sahmer was due to lead the suicide bomber to Israel, and following his arrest he supplied security forces with the location of the bomb.
Walid al-Obaidi, the commander of the Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigades in the West Bank, said on Monday that his group had the right to carry out suicide bombings in Israel whenever necessary. He made the statement in response to Israeli reports that the IDF arrested two Islamic Jihad terrorists who were on their way to an area in Israel to blow themselves up.
"The allegation came as part of psychological war that occupation troops conduct against our people and resistance," said al-Obaidi, also known as Abu al-Qasam.
He also called on militants not to abide by any ceasefire unless it covers the West Bank, saying that the Palestinian territories were one part that can not be divided. "The retaliation of al-Quds Brigades will not delay and will be painful and terrible," he said.
Earlier today, President Bush participated in a joint press conference in Estonia with President Ilves. Following a question from the AP, Bush expressed his frustration and dissatisfaction with Palestinian terror groups in Gaza that undermine Israeli overtures to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas:
We're trying to help get a democracy started in the Palestinian Territory. Prime Minister Olmert has reached out at one point to Prime Minister Abbas -- President Abbas. And you know what happens as soon as he does that? Extremists attack, because they can't stand the thought of a democracy. And the same thing is happening in Iraq. And it's in our mutual interest that we help this government succeed.
Clearly, Bush is referring to the ongoing rocket attacks by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades among others. Just yesterday, Israeli PM Ehud Olmert delivered a very important speech in which he said that "the cessation of terrorism and violence will enable us to offer you a series of steps, which will be taken in joint coordination, in order to facilitate the improvement of the Palestinian population's quality of living, which was severely affected as a result of our need to take defensive measures against your terrorist actions."
Among these steps would be a significant reduction in the number of roadblocks, an increase in freedom of movement in the territories, facilitation of movement of people and goods in both directions, improvement in the operation of the border crossings to Gaza, and release of Palestinian funds for the purpose of alleviating the humanitarian hardship which many of you suffer.
Of course, there still remains the problem that the Palestinian Authority is led by Hamas, which refuses to abide by the demands of the Quartet to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept all prior agreements. While there may be some diplomatic progress through the ceasefire, we should not get our hopes up for a lasting peace and the fulfillment of the two-state solution until those preconditions are met.
UPDATE 11/28 @ 12:22: Since Sunday's ceasefire took effect, terrorists have fired at least a dozen rockets into Israel.
More than 1,201 Qassam rockets have been launched by the Palestinians from Gaza since disengagement in August 2005. Israel relocated nearly 9,000 residents from Gaza in late August, granting the Palestinians independence to govern themselves. In return, the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority has permitted terror groups to stockpile weapons, launch Qassam rocket attacks and to intentionally target innocent Israeli civilians.
Since Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza, terror from the strip has increased. Within the last eight months four civilians have died and dozens wounded as a result of Qassam and mortar fire. A total of ten civilians have died as a result of Qassam and mortar fire launched from Gaza into Israel. An additional seven were killed prior to disengagement by rockets and mortars in Jewish communities within Gaza, including a foreign worker and two Palestinians. In the last week alone, almost 70 Qassam rockets were launched from northern Gaza killing two Israeli civilians.
Under the control of the Hamas government, Palestinians are now capable of launching Qassam rockets into the coastal town of Ashkelon, which lies 8 miles from northern Gaza. Qassams usually can travel up to 1.8-6 miles, but Hamas' green light for continued terror against Israel has resulted in the creation of a new double-engine Qassam rocket by Hamas and the build up of Grad-style Katyusha rockets that can reach targets within 11-19 miles. In March 2006, Islamic Jihad launched a Grad-type Katyusha rocket into Israel for the first time. Four Grad-type rockets in total have been fired into Israeli territory.
All the Katyusha rockets that have been fired from Gaza were 122 mm, the same as those found on the Karin-A ship captured by Israeli authorities in 2002. The ship was carrying a supply of weapons and munitions delivered by Hezbollah and paid for by Iran. The 122-mm Katyusha rocket was widely used by Hezbollah to attack Israeli civilians in northern Israel during the Israel-Hezbollah war.
In a briefing to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on November 14, Israel Security Agency Director Yuval Diskin outlined that following Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, Palestinian terrorist groups have smuggled into Gaza:
Hamas and Islamic Jihad have taken a large percentage of responsibility for firing the barrage of Qassam rockets that have struck southern Israeli towns in recent weeks. Abu Obaida, spokesman for the Hamas-affiliated Izz Eddeen al-Qassam Brigades, said "It is not a secret that we are developing our military capabilities as we indeed have upgraded our Qassam rockets to the extent that it makes it easy for them to accurately hit their targets."
Terror remains rampant in Gaza to the extent that the Red Cross has temporarily ceased all Gaza activities. After two Italian Red Cross aid workers were kidnapped this week, one of which was traveling with a Canadian passport, a spokesman said that the Red Cross would only work in Gaza "in matters of life and death."
Louise Arbour, former Supreme Court of Canada and the new UN high commissioner for human rights, witnessed Qassam rocket strikes firsthand when visiting Sderot on November 21. During her tour of the western Negev four Qassams were fired from Gaza into Sderot, hitting a poultry processing plant and severely wounding Yaakov Yaakobovich. He later died of his wounds. According to UN spokesman Christopher Gunness, Arbour stated that "Qassams are illegal under international law," and that Israel "has a responsibility to defend its citizens" as long as legal measures are employed.
The imminent threat of Qassam fire originating from Gaza led the Knesset Finance Committee this week to delay increasing defense budget funds in order to allocate a sufficient amount of resources to ensure that Sderot schools are protected against the bombardment of rockets. Some classes in Sderot are currently being held in bomb shelters. One of the Qassam rockets launched from Gaza on Wednesday morning landed near the courtyard of a Sderot school before classes were slated to begin. Students at the scene were treated for shock.
Following the continuous firing of Qassam rockets at Israel from Gaza, the IDF carried out a number of aerial attacks in Gaza last night, targeting three Hamas weapons storage facilities in Jabaliya, Rafah and Beit Lahiya. Prior to the attack on these terror facilities, and in order to ensure the safety of civilians in the area, the IDF warned the population not to stay in structures that are used by terrorist organizations for storing weaponry. Additionally, the IDF targeted an Islamic Jihad weapons production facility in Khan Yunis.
Following the continuous Qassam rocket attacks at Israel from Gaza, the IDF carried out a number of aerial attacks last night against the terror infrastructure. The attacks were:
19 rockets hit southern Israel yesterday, killing an Israeli woman and seriously injuring two more civilians, one of them 17 years old, in Sderot. Damage was also caused to civilian infrastructure in the city of Ashkelon.
Earlier today, a female Palestinian suicide bomber blew herself up near Israeli troops Beit Hanoun, a town in northern Gaza where Israeli forces had killed two women acting as human shields for Hamas gunmen. The IDF said one soldier was slightly wounded and evacuated to hospital. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing.
Initial details reveal that the incident took place at about 15:30, when the woman - later identified as Marvat Masud - arrived at a temporary checkpoint set up by the IDF. The crossing was established in the framework of efforts to apprehend wanted suspects. The terrorist approached the soldiers who were standing at the checkpoint and apparently activated an explosive belt she was wearing. "Soldiers called on her to stop, then she blew herself up," an IDF army spokesman said.
A Palestinian Qassam rocket fired by Islamic Jihad landed in an open area near "a strategic site" in Israel's coastal city of Ashkelon, Israeli Radio quoted army sources on Monday. The rocket, fired from northern Gaza, caused slight damages. The timing of the attack - early morning - played a critical role in the limited damage and casualties.
The situation in Ashkelon has been relatively quiet recently, but the Palestinian Qassam rocket attacks against southern Israel's town of Sderot has continued in spite of the ongoing operations by the IDF in Gaza to curb rocket attacks.
While it hasn't been in the news lately (a disturbing trend itself), there have been an alarming numer of Qassam rockets launched by Palestinian terrorists from Gaza into Israel over the past week and a half.
From September 16 to September 26, there were 21 Qassam rockets fired by terrorists operating freely in the lawless Gaza Strip. Of these, 13 fell and exploded in southern Israel, leaving three injured and imposing immeasurable psychological trauma on people living within range of the rockets. A rocket attack yesterday that left a woman with shrapnel in her stomach was claimed by Islamic Jihad.
The rockets also damaged a water tower, a greenhouse, an elementary school, and a college. The attacks continued even through Rosh Hashana, and the government was forced to evacuate a number of families to alternate locations to provide a safe environment for the holiday. Meanwhile, terrorists continue to smuggle weapons into Gaza.
These attacks are absolutely unacceptable and must stop. They endanger the peace and stability of the entire region, and clearly, if the attacks continue and the situation escalates, Israel will be forced to defend itself. We'll keep an eye on the situation and report back with updates.
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