Posted on 04/20/2008 3:52:59 AM PDT by fweingart
JERUSALEM - Hamas bombers attacked an Israeli-Gaza border crossing under the cover of fog Saturday, detonating two jeeps made to look like Israeli military vehicles and packed with hundreds of pounds of explosives.
The twin blasts, just hours before the Jewish Passover holiday, wounded 13 Israeli soldiers in what Hamas said was an attempt to break the nearly yearlong blockade of the territory. Four Hamas assailants died, Israeli officials said.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter met with senior Hamas leaders in Damascus, Syria, for a second day to hear their views, defying U.S. and Israeli warnings that doing so would grant the group legitimacy. The U.S. and Israel have labeled Hamas a terrorist organization.
An Israeli army commander said the Hamas operation was the most ambitious since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, even though another planned attempt at the border was averted Saturday. The attack was the fifth on a crossing by Gaza militants since last week, and Hamas threatened to target the passages again.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak later visited the area. "When the time comes, Hamas will bear the consequences," Barak warned, in comments quoted by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on its Web site.
Despite such attacks, Hamas has said it seeks a truce on the Gaza-Israel border, and Egypt has been trying to broker such a deal. Hamas' motives for its ostensibly contradictory actions were not clear.
Hamas officials said they talked to Carter about ways to lift the Gaza closure and the possibility of swapping an Israeli soldier held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
In Washington, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit reported progress in talks on a prisoner swap, and said it would involve the release of up to 400 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Cpl. Gilad Shalit.
The Egyptian news agency MENA quoted Aboul Gheit as saying that an informal truce on the Gaza-Israel border and an eventual opening of the Gaza border crossings, under control of the moderate West Bank government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, could also be part of the package.
However, Hamas signaled it is getting impatient. Saturday's attacks "are the beginning of the explosions that Hamas has warned of," said a senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri. "If the parties don't intervene quickly to save Gaza and break the siege, what is coming will be greater."
Israel and Egypt virtually sealed Gaza last summer after the violent Hamas takeover of the territory. Since then, only basic supplies have been allowed through Gaza's crossings.
The attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing started at about 6 a.m. Saturday, said Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, the top army commander in the area.
Hamas militants drove an armored personnel carrier and two jeeps made to look like Israeli army vehicles toward the crossing under the cover of morning fog as Hamas pounded the border area with heavy mortar fire.
The armored personnel carrier broke through the perimeter fence, enabling the two jeeps to enter the crossing. One jeep was detonated near an army watchtower and the second near a patrol, security officials said. Thirteen soldiers were wounded in the second blast, including eight who were hospitalized.
Military officials said each jeep carried hundreds of pounds of explosives.
Galant said Hamas apparently tried to cause a large number of casualties and to kidnap soldiers.
"This is an attack the likes of which we have not seen since disengagement," Galant said, referring to Israel's pullout from Gaza in September 2005.
Later Saturday, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a car near Kerem Shalom, killing a mechanic for the Hamas police and wounding four people, Palestinian security officials and medics said.
On Saturday evening, another missile strike killed four Hamas militants east of Gaza City, Palestinian medics and security officials said. The Israeli military confirmed the strike, and said it targeted a group trying to launch rockets.
Hamas said three of its gunmen were killed Saturday, but released a farewell video of four attackers. One of the faces was blocked out, suggesting he could still at large.
The video showed three vehicles driving off into the morning fog. The assailants posed for the camera, smiling and toting rifles.
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said Hamas is showing disregard for the welfare of Gaza's residents by attacking the crossings.
"Israel has no illusions as to the true nature of Hamas and as to that organization's extremist agenda," Regev said. "It is not an accident that the international community views Hamas as illegitimate and has officially declared Hamas a terrorist organization."
Palestinian analyst Khalil Shaheen, a writer for the Palestinian daily Al Ayyam, said Hamas is apparently stepping up border attacks to remind those involved in a possible border deal that its interests have to be taken into account.
The irony will be lost on Jimmah.
Heck, Peanut Brain probably planned the attack.
When Peanut Brain finally passes away, just think of his terrorists pals that would attend the funeral. It would resemble Arafat's funeral.
> Meanwhile, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter met with senior Hamas leaders in Damascus, Syria, for a second day to hear their views, defying U.S. and Israeli warnings that doing so would grant the group legitimacy. The U.S. and Israel have labeled Hamas a terrorist organization.
This is surely an intolerable situation. Carter has thumbed his nose at the US and Israel, and is meeting with the terrorists anyway!
I will lose alot of respect for President Bush if he allows this to go unpunished. This is a direct challenge to his authority, and will embolden terrorists everywhere if the President fails to take decisive punitive action.
President Bush risks being seen in the eyes of the terrorists and in the eyes of the international community as a Lame Duck president, against whom you may act with impunity.
This will not do at all.
I hope Carter is silly enough to step onto Israeli soil, and that the Israelis are alert and creative enough to arrest him on terrorist charges.
> In Washington, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit reported progress in talks on a prisoner swap, and said it would involve the release of up to 400 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Cpl. Gilad Shalit.
In many ways I admire Israel for placing such a high value on one of their own. It’s about right: one Israeli is worth at least 400 stinking terrorists, and even then it’s a rough bargain.
On the other hand, it is this sort of asymmetrical warfare that gives Hamas the ability to operate: they’ll use one of their terrorists to blow up 400 Israelis, and require 400 of their own back for every Israeli they capture.
Either way you look at it, that’s a 400:1 leverage in favor of Hamas.
Hamas is the Democraticaly elected government of Palestion—though only allowed the administration of the Gaza Strip.
In all other wars in history,the people who chose an evil and aggresive government bent on the total destruction of another nation payed such a terrible price in defeat that future wars often became a hateful notion to them.
The eternal scourge of global anti-Semitism prevents this efficacy of history from playing out in the Middle-East.
Eventually,Nukes will finally settle the issue there—to the entire world’s sorrow.
Why can’t the earth leave the Jews in peace? It has been proven time and time again over scores of decades that it is best to leave the chosen people alone.If there ever was a world history axiom it is:
“Don’t mess with the Jews because Kharma is a real bitch!”
Jackassus Horribilus Stupidious
Carter loves terrorists. Carter should be in prison.
I read somewhere yesterday that Obama (who is also truly adept (or is it inept?)) refused to criticize Jimmy Carter’s disgusting meeting with Hamas by saying, “It’s not my place to discuss who he shouldn’t meet with, while campaigning in Indianapolis.”
Gee, I thought Senator Obama considered himself VERY experienced in world affairs...and I thought he was running for the presidency of the most influential nation in the world.....and he refuses to comment on Carter’s supreme lack of wisdom (to put it mildly) in a crucial area of the world?
;-o
Let's see if I get this straight. If you don't do what we want, we're going to kill ourselves!
Pull his passport
After Daffy Duck blows himself up on stage the audience erupts in wild applause.
In the wings a clapping Bugs Bunny shouts:
“Daffy,they loved it!
They want more!”
Daffy,now a ghost ascending to Heaven sadly replies:
“I know,I know,but I can only do it once.”
Muslim terrorists are...well...you know.
Too bad they don’t have dress rehearsals.
[Hamas’ motives for its ostensibly contradictory actions were not clear.]
I would think that these contradictory actions are a smoke screen for the deceptions of the leftist fools who hate Israel.
May the good Lord Jesus defend Israel from all its enemies, bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel, as the scriptures teach.
Carter is cursed and will be in hell for his hatred of Israel.
1. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,
3. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.(7 year prophesied tribulation)
6. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.(Coming 1000 year rule of Jesus Christ on the earth.)
7. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee.
8. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
1. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,
3. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.(7 year prophesied tribulation)
6. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.(Coming 1000 year rule of Jesus Christ on the earth.)
7. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee.
8. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
“Pull his passport”
Sue Myrick agrees...here...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2004269/posts
I was thinking of as way to mkea 400 : 1 exchange seem logical.
How about Israel giving all the prisoners vaccinations, along with a small plutonium chip.
and if innocent people weren’t around when they did it, all would be right in the world!
Ted Kennedy with Jhimmy as his driver!
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