Smuggled Weapons Used To Kill Two Israeli Soldiers - Thanks Egypt (Plus: Hamas Still Bragging About The War They Started)
Remember yesterday when we said that Hamas has been gearing up for this war for a long, long time by making themselves into a Hezbollah clone? Yeah:
Two IDF soldiers were killed Saturday during a clash with Palestinian gunmen in northern Gaza Strip. Staff Sergeant Doron Asulin, 20, from Beersheba and Staff Sergeant Eran Dan Gur, 20, from Jerusalem, were killed Saturday morning in the Gaza Strip. Asulin was in the Givati brigade's patrol battalion; Dan Gur was of the brigade's Shaked battalion... Hamas sources said the IDF soldiers were hit by an improved anti-tank missile recently introduced to Gaza. Several weeks ago, a Hamas official told Ynet that the organization has been able to have missiles similar to those used by the Hizbullah in the Second Lebanon War, smuggled into Gaza. According to reports, the gunmen were firing mortar shells, antitank and RPG missiles at the soldiers. Over 60 Palestinians were reportedly wounded in the fighting.
Egypt's complicity in Hamas's arms smuggling is so open that it probably constitutes a demonstrable breach of security agreements. Israel knows that and has known it for years. But no one bothered to call them on the violations because - thanks to a textbook State Department anti-Israel bait and switch - the alternatives to those agreements are worse. And now two Israeli soldiers have been killed by weapons smuggled from Egypt - during a campaign to capture other weapons smuggled from Egypt. Good thing that Israel gave up the Sinai.
Hamas, of course, is still boasting about their impending glorious victory:
If IDF forces launch a Gaza incursion, warned Mashaal, all Gazans will confront them: "I have only this to say to the terrorists leading the enemy – Olmert, Barak and the rest of you – decide what ever your want. Should you be stupid enough to enter Gaza – we will fight you… not only will you face thousands of warriors, you will have a million and a half people ready to fight you, ready to die as martyrs," he said. "With all your weapons you are still cowards… we know you well. You have your equipment to thank for your might. We do not ridicule that, but you use the US, you use the weakness of the Arab nations. This will not last for much longer. We will defeat you eventually," he added.
You know what? We have a feeling that if he asked, the IDF would be more than happy to let him into Gaza.
References:
* Global Outrage Set To Erupt As Israeli Operation "Warm Winter" Responds To Two Years Of Hamas Missiles And Rockets [MR]
* 2 IDF soldiers killed in Gaza [YNet]
* Egypt Uncovers A Single Smuggling Tunnel, Basically Calls It A Day (Plus: Egypt In Explicit Violation Of Security Agreements?) [MR]
* Camp David, Other Agreements With Egypt Working Out Great - Cairo "Working Against Israel For Years" [MR]
* Another State Dept Bait And Switch - Rice Says PA Should Control Gaza-Egypt Border (Plus: EU Maybe Kind Of Thinking About Fulfilling Rafah Agreement) [MR]
* Hamas leader: IDF operations in Gaza – 'the real holocaust' [YNet]
Previously:
* Egypt To Build Multiple Nuclear Reactors [MR]
* It's Official: Egypt Embracing Hamas Through Contacts, Prisoner Releases [MR]
* Oh For Crying Out Loud. Democrats Now Actually Meeting With the Muslim Brotherhood. (UPDATED AND BUMPED- Hoyer Denies It. Kind Of. Except Not Really) [MR]
