So today, just a few short days after a cease fire was called by both Israel and Hamas, the cease fire is effectively over. Today, one Israeli soldier was killed and three more wounded, while one Palestinian was killed also.
Hamas terrorists, emulating their Iranian trained colleagues in Iraq, placed a road-side bomb along an Israeli patrol route and detonated it as a vehicle passed. The Israeli soldiers were well and truly inside Israel and going about routine business at the time of this attack. In no way could this attack be considered a “response to Israeli aggression”. A kassam rocket was also launched into Israel but caused no damage.
When you consider Israel and Hamas are in the middle of tense truce negotiations and that Hamas has chosen to send its people over the border to plant bombs then you should be getting a clearer picture of what kind of group Hamas actually are. To actively up the anti during negotiations like this shows how seriously they intend to take any cease fire. That is, for Hamas, nothing has changed. They still care nothing for their people and any possible Israeli response and still have no intention of honouring any cease fire deals.
The timing of this attack is also no coincidence. Barack Obama’s new Middle East Envoy, George Mitchell, arrived in the region today. Hamas will be trying to send a clear message to Mitchell that they are not a spent force and that they are here to stay.
Hopefully, the new US envoy and the World at large will see this act for what is was – more unprovoked aggression and violence from an organisation that can never be taken at its word.