Hamas ended their truce with Israel on Saturday, firing a barrage of rockets at Israel hours after an accidental artillery attack in Gaza that killed seven. Hamas proudly claimed responsibility for at least 15 rockets that were fired after midnight, as well as a barrage of mortar bombs. There were no casualties, with all of them landing inside Gaza.
"The earthquake in the Zionist towns will start again and the aggressors will have no choice but to prepare their coffins or their luggage," Hamas said in a leaflet. "The resistance groups ... will choose the proper place and time for the tough, strong and unique response."
The funding for such attacks may come from Iran, which has just reportedly pledged $250 million to Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.
The IDF expressed regret for any "strike on innocents," saying that it was accidental and that the shells were aimed at a target 400 yards away, which had been the launching ground for dozens of rockets fired by Palestinians at southern Israeli towns. After uncertainty as to where the shells came from, an IDF investigation revealed that they likely came from artillery arrayed along Gaza's eastern boundary with Israel.
"If this is the result of artillery fire, we deeply regret it," said Capt. Noa Meir, a military spokeswoman. "This is not our intention at all, far from it."
Of course, none of this would have happened in the first place if Israel was not under a constant barrage of rocket attacks from Gaza, and if the Palestinian Authority took responsibility for all actions within territory under its control. So far this week, more than 30 rockets have been fired on Israel, some of them hitting Minister of Defense Amir Peretz's home town of Sderot.
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