Hamas just can’t stop attacking Jews – and they don’t care who knows it.

Hamas militants in Gaza fired rockets and mortar shells at Israel for the first time in five months Tuesday, retaliating for deadly Israeli raids in the Palestinian territories and leaving a largely successful Gaza truce in serious doubt.

The barrage, which came on Israel's 59th independence day, did not cause any damage or injury, but it marked the first time Hamas acknowledged firing shells toward Israel since agreeing to the cease-fire. Hamas is tightly organized, and Israel says attacks from Gaza have the tacit approval of the militant group's political leaders.

Hamas gave conflicting predictions about the future of the truce — some officials said it was over, while others said everything depends on Israeli actions.

The cease-fire, announced by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in November, declared an end to Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli attacks, including airstrikes at Gaza militants and punishing invasions of towns in northern Gaza.

Israel stopped most of its military activity but kept Gaza in a stranglehold by closing vital crossings, citing security threats. And while Hamas rocket squads stayed on the sidelines, other groups, like Islamic Jihad, kept up fire of homemade rockets almost daily at Israeli towns and villages just outside Gaza.

“A largely successful truce”? Only if “successful” is defined as Israel being under attack by surrogates for Hamas, and Hamas doing nothing to stop those attacks -- all while Israel receives international condemnation for seeking to root out those who break the cease fire.

It strikes me as long past time for Israel to clean out the rat hole that is Gaza.

Posted by: Greg at 10:07 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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