I predicted this would happen last week.
I also predicted I would put you on ignore this a.m.
You're a good guy, I'm just not interest in hearing about Armstrong ad nauseam... or even about TRUMP or Ayn Rand.
I'm glad you found someone to do your thinking for you. Goodbye and Good Luck...!
cnn.com
Israel strikes Gaza after accusing Hamas of ‘blatant’ violation of ceasefire in first major test of US-brokered truce By Tal Shalev, Mostafa Salem, Oren Liebermann, and Ibrahim Dahman
Updated 12 min ago Israel carried out strikes on Gaza Sunday after saying its troops came under fire from militants in a “blatant” violation of the ceasefire, the first major test of the US-brokered truce.
An Israeli military official said Hamas attacked Israeli forces in Rafah with rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire, prompting Israel to carry out strikes in the area - just nine days after the ceasefire began.
Another source familiar with the incident said Israeli forces suffered casualties as a result of the attacks.
The incident occurred beyond the Yellow Line – the initial Israeli withdrawal boundary outlined in the ceasefire agreement.
Both sides have accused each other of violating the truce, which brought an end to months of fighting and allowed the release of Israeli hostages, as well as Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
But Sunday’s incident is the most serious threat yet. Hamas said in a statement Sunday that it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement.
Its military wing, Al Qassam Brigades, denied knowledge of “any events or clashes” in Rafah and said they are committed to the truce “throughout all areas of the Gaza Strip.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security consultation with defense minister Israel Katz and military chiefs on Sunday, instructing them to “act forcefully” against “terrorist targets” in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had carried out airstrikes and artillery fire in Rafah, destroying Hamas infrastructure.
“Hamas will pay a heavy price for every shooting and violation of the ceasefire, and if the message is not understood, the intensity of our responses will continue to increase,” Katz said in a statement.
Netanyahu faces pressure to respond from far-right parties supporting his coalition, with the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, calling on him to resume the war in Gaza “in full force.”
Hamas clashes with rivals
While much is unknown about the latest incident, it occurred on Sunday morning as Hamas said its internal Rada’a security force was targeting a “hideout” of an Israel-backed militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab in the same area.
In June, Israel confirmed it was arming several such militias in an attempt to counter Hamas.
Muhammad Shehada, a Gaza expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said these militias now operate from within Israeli-occupied areas in Gaza from which they “descend on the other half of Gaza, carry out attacks, then go run back to those protected areas.”
Since the ceasefire began last week, Hamas has carried out what it has called a “security campaign” aimed at “collaborators, mercenaries, thieves, bandits, and those cooperating with the Zionist enemy throughout the Gaza Strip.”
The internal clashes have created a volatile security situation in the battered enclave with violence erupting between Hamas and rival groups in several areas across Gaza, including an incident that culminated in an apparent public execution of eight people in a square in Gaza City while large crowds were watching.
Hamas and Israel have accused each other violating the nascent ceasefire since it took effect earlier this month.
Israel has shot and killed Palestinians it accused of approaching the Yellow Line, in what Hamas has called a “flagrant violation” of the ceasefire commitments.
Israel has also accused Hamas of delaying the return of all of the deceased hostages held in Gaza as required by the deal, and has closed a key border crossing until further notice. |
