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IAF bombs Gaza weapons manufacturing site after rocket strikes Negev
By Amos Harel, Anshel Pfeffer and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and Agencies
Tags: Israel News, Hamas, IDF, Gaza

The Israel Air Force on late Wednesday night struck a weapons manufacturing facility in the area of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, hours after after a Qassam rocket fired by Gaza militants hit the Eshkol region in the western Negev.

The Israel Defense Forces said a hit was identified.

The rocket Wednesday the first to hit Israel since a shaky cease-fire ended Israel's three-week offensive in the coastal enclave.
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There were no reports of injuries or damage in the rocket strike.

Eshkol Regional Council head Haim Yalin said following the rocket strike that "we expect Israel's government not to be dragged into a policy of restraint, and we expect a forceful response to preserve the security of the residents of the Gaza envelope."

Earlier Wednesday, the Palestinians claimed that they had fired a Qassam rocket at Israel in response to an Israel Air Force bombing of tunnels in the Philadelphi corridor near Gaza's border with Egypt. Israeli military officials said that no rocket landing site had been located following the Palestinian announcement.

The IAF airstrike followed a bomb blast Tuesday along the Israel-Gaza border, in which an Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed and three others were wounded.

Rafah residents began to flee their homes in panic as the Israeli aircraft struck three times, Hamas officials said. There was no initial word of any casualties.

An IDF spokesman said the air strike came in response to a remote-control bomb attack at the Gaza Strip security fence Tuesday, which killed an Israel Defense Forces tracker and wounded three other soldiers, one seriously.

The IDF spokesperson said Wednesday that the blame for the IAF strike lays solely at the feet of Hamas in that "as the sole authority in the Gaza Strip, Hamas bears full responsibility of all terror originating from within its area of control. The IDF will respond to any terror attacks in accordance with decisions made by the Israeli government."

The border blast was the Palestinians' first deadly attack since the cease-fire ended Operation Cast Lead, and came the day before the arrival of George Mitchell, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East.

Earlier on Tuesday, IAF aircraft fired a missile at a militant on a motorbike in the Khan Yunis area of Gaza. The Shin Bet security service, which helped coordinate the missile strike, said the militant, Hussein Abu-Shamaya, was involved in the bomb attack. The bomb was planted by a Hamas breakaway group identified with the Al-Qaida-affiliated Global Jihad, the Shin Bet said.

In addition, a Palestinian man, apparently a farmer, was killed in exchanges of fire between IDF troops and Palestinians in Gaza after the bomb was detonated, according to Palestinian reports. The incident took place while IDF tanks and soldiers, assisted by helicopters, were patrolling Gaza after the attack.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned of a "further response" to the attack.

"What the IDF did today was not a response but a preliminary action," he said at a meeting of ministry directors general. "A further response to this serious incident will be forthcoming."

The security cabinet is to meet Wednesday to discuss security projects, but the situation in Gaza might also be discussed.

Olmert, noting that he had termed the cease-fire "fragile," also said: "We don't even call it a cease-fire but a holding of fire in the face of Hamas infractions, so that we can retain the IDF's freedom of action."

Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided to strike Hamas targets in response to the death of the tracker.

"We do not intend to gloss over incidents like these," Barak said. "We will not let Hamas and its outgrowths continue their hostile acts of terror. Anyone who hits us will have to absorb a serious blow in the future, too."

Sources in the Prime Minister's Bureau said Tuesday Israel was not negotiating with Hamas over a cease-fire or second lull. "The Egyptians are speaking to Hamas to attain things that are important for them, but we are not obligated to anything. We have not signed understandings or an agreement with Hamas," a source in Olmert's bureau said.

Israel and Egypt are apparently formulating an understanding on the passage of merchandise from Israel to the Gaza Strip, and at the same time some increased freedom of movement in the opening of the Rafah crossing from the Strip to Egypt.

The Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings on the Gaza border were closed after the attack. Approximately 185 trucks carrying aid and equipment were to have crossed into Gaza yesterday.

The bomb near the Gaza border detonated around 8 A.M., as an IDF patrol was passing near the Kissufim crossing, north of Kibbutz Kissufim. The tracker was killed and an officer was seriously hurt. One of his legs was amputated and the other one is severely damaged. Two other soldiers were classified as lightly hurt and will be released in a few days. Soroka Medical Center said they had extensive shrapnel wounds.

The name of the tracker, a Bedouin, was not released, at the request of his family.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the soldiers were patrolling an area that had not been patrolled for several weeks due to the fighting in the Strip. The regional brigade commander was apparently not apprised of the patrol, which was approved by the battalion commander. IDF sources said the Palestinians who planted the bomb did so Monday night, under cover of heavy fog.

The closure of the Gaza crossings is only the first stage of Israel's response to the attack, Amos Gilad, who heads the Defense Ministry's political bureau, said yesterday. "The equation in the Strip has changed," he said during a lecture at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

Yuval Azoulay, Avi Issacharoff and Barak Ravid contributed to this report.

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      1.   Trapping the Hunter 03:50  |  george 28/01/09
      2.   Either/or 05:59  |  Chrisona 28/01/09
      3.   Abbas is Hamas, NOT Fatah? 06:31  |  Jeff 28/01/09
      4.   #2 - an alternative 06:34  |  Simon 28/01/09
      5.   Nuke the tunnels 06:51  |  Mike 28/01/09
      6.   Palestinians Attack Soldiers, Israel Attacks Civilians? 06:53  |  Arik Silverman 28/01/09
      7.   Tunnels can`t be taken out from air, Kadima against ground troops 07:02  |  jason 28/01/09
      8.   I am so proud of Israel! 07:24  |  Nechama 28/01/09
      9.   Difficult to believe that hamas is that stupid! 07:32  |  Don American 28/01/09
      10.   Rafah 07:44  |  dave 28/01/09
      11.   To Chrisona 07:49  |  Tariq 28/01/09
      12.   chrisona hamas is an idea....it exist 07:53  |  listen 28/01/09
      13.   No! to the truce 08:06  |  Jean Van Daem 28/01/09
      14.   The bullies in Israel strike again... 08:26  |  Dutch 28/01/09
      15.   Chrisona #2 You put it VERY WELL, and I will complete it : 08:40  |  S 28/01/09
      16.   Trapping the Hunter 08:44  |  reini 28/01/09
      17.   Make The Earth Tremor Under Their Feet With Deeper Penetrating 08:45  |  Lavi 28/01/09
      18.   Don American 08:56  |  Rod 28/01/09
      19.   Oh my oh my 08:56  |  I`m Shocked, shocked 28/01/09
      20.   #6 listen: Stop your lies! Stop living in an imaginary world! 08:59  |  S 28/01/09
      21.   ooh Tunnels 09:03  |  Baruch Gold 28/01/09
      22.   to Nechama 09:10  |  gili 28/01/09
      23.   what about yesterday`s strike?! 09:16  |  Amol 28/01/09
      24.   Take that, pile of sand!! 09:16  |  Clickfool 28/01/09
      25.   The bullies in Israel strike again... 09:32  |  Dutch 28/01/09
      26.   Response to Lavi 09:33  |  Ty 28/01/09
      27.   Will there be Gaza War II? 09:34  |  Ben Azzai 28/01/09
      28.   12 Gili, you are right the Israeli response is disgusting... 09:43  |  Dutch 28/01/09
      29.   #18 Clickfool 09:47  |  H 28/01/09
      30.   ROD either Hamas is in charge or its a waste of time talking 09:48  |  PETER SM 28/01/09
      31.   #19 Ty: No Need For Gazan Borders To Be Restricted When ... 10:00  |  Lavi 28/01/09
      32.   Hit Hamas again and again till terror stops 10:02  |  Harvey 28/01/09
      33.   If Israel gets desperate enough 10:13  |  Natallie Durson 28/01/09
      34.   Ya Tariq, Let Palestinians start creating their state. 10:27  |  Tzfonit 28/01/09
      35.   The might of Israel 10:33  |  MARTIN 28/01/09
      36.   gili re: Nechama 10:48  |  TonyL 28/01/09
      37.   HAMAS AND VIOLENCE. 10:50  |  Mike Reising 28/01/09
      38.   Anyone could plant that bomb 10:51  |  Medo 28/01/09
      39.   To # 33 11:00  |  Hans 28/01/09
      40.   gili 11:03  |  MARTIN 28/01/09
      41.   How to start a war 12:17  |  Dav 28/01/09
      42.   Chrisona #2 12:23  |  Esther 28/01/09
      43.   Stop the oppression, and they will not have a reason to fight. 13:15  |  sadly not true 28/01/09
      44.   The notorious `Vietcong Structure`. 13:32  |  Mark Lincoln 28/01/09
      45.   Gili # 22 13:45  |  Etai 28/01/09
      46.   Dutch #25 13:51  |  Ben 28/01/09
      47.   strong reaction? 13:59  |  Nestor 28/01/09
      48.   @Arik. Pal civilian killed while inspecting the border 13:59  |  Brutus 28/01/09
      49.   It Was Deliberate Then 14:16  |  Jeff Northridge 28/01/09
      50.   to Etai 15:36  |  Gili 28/01/09
      51.   To Nattalie (# 33). Just wondering... 16:33  |  flyingdoc57 28/01/09
      52.   Poor Gaza 16:36  |  grandma 28/01/09
      53.   arik silverman #6 "palestinians attack soldiers,israel attacks 17:38  |  terrornator 28/01/09
      54.   brooklyn 17:39  |  rotonberg 28/01/09
      55.   tariq and listen #11 and 12,israel isn`t treating the palestinian 17:49  |  terrornator 28/01/09
      56.   Natallie Durson # 33 "Desperation" Is Not The Word (2nd Try) 18:13  |  Jeff Northridge 28/01/09
      57.   #4 Simon - You said it! 18:19  |  Yonatan 28/01/09
      58.   Natalie everyone knows but you why! 18:27  |  sabra 28/01/09
      59.   # 51 - flyingdoc57 18:30  |  Natallie Durson 28/01/09
      60.   One word:Fools 18:35  |  rigma 28/01/09
      61.   GAZA IS OPRESSED BY HAMAS 20:55  |  Carole 28/01/09
      62.   Natallie Durson 59 21:29  |  ChanahS 28/01/09
      63.   #30PeterSM. Shhh. Haven`t you heard? 22:22  |  Maureen Ann 28/01/09
      64.   Said it before, I`ll say it again. Lebanon 2006, Gaza 2009... 22:30  |  bat yam 28/01/09
      65.   To 52 22:35  |  Antonio da Silva 28/01/09
      66.   to mike reising 22:45  |  benny 28/01/09
      67.   What is a "Hamas Official" 23:14  |  Baruch Gold 28/01/09
      68.   if they need war... 23:20  |  tick 28/01/09
      69.   Yesterday`s Tepid Response 23:20  |  Ron 28/01/09
      70.   Hamas miscalculates again 23:32  |  Dave Duncan 28/01/09
      71.   low-precision kassam 00:00  |  luis 29/01/09
      72.   Nuts 00:16  |  USA 29/01/09
      73.   Gaza 02:39  |  A Walsh 29/01/09
      74.   #62 02:47  |  Douglas Fireman 29/01/09
      75.   A Walsh 03:56  |  Jasper 29/01/09
      76.   To #59 Natallie Durson :Who are the terrorists in your post? 04:21  |  Bob 29/01/09
      77.   To A Walsh #69: small price 04:28  |  Bob 29/01/09
      78.   #1 George 05:06  |  Ben Alofs 29/01/09
      79.   #62, bat yam...how will it be rectified? 06:41  |  Silvienne 29/01/09
      80.   to Terrornator: 07:03  |  Al 29/01/09
      81.   To Tariq: Rights to live free from fear 07:15  |  Ibrahim Shvonce 29/01/09
      82.   Haters, so who violated the ceasefire? 07:15  |  Dan 29/01/09
      83.   Hamas will now have to sleep in the bed they made 07:16  |  Dan 29/01/09
      84.   What part of dont fire rockets into Israel don`t you understand? 07:17  |  Dan 29/01/09
      85.   Israel justified 07:44  |  ryan 29/01/09
      86.   Meretz would rather expell jews than to expell Hamas . 08:01  |  Joseph.E 29/01/09
      87.   Prelude to spectacular climax 08:08  |  Shimon Cleopas 29/01/09
      88.   The truce is not respected : Hamas should be crushed now. 08:15  |  Jean Van Daem 29/01/09
      89.   N# 1 Little and Large 08:19  |  Joanie 29/01/09
      90.   to #39 10:22  |  Laith 29/01/09
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