Israel Update for April 2008

David Dolan

Clashes between Israeli military forces and Islamic fighters escalated once again during April after Palestinian terrorists carried out another cross border attack from the Gaza Strip, leaving two Israeli civilians dead. Three IDF soldiers were killed and over 15 wounded during heavy fighting later in the month.

The violence came amid growing signs that the extremist Hamas group is preparing to blow up portions of the border fence with Egypt, as it did in January. Israeli officials urged tourists to stay away from popular Sinai coastal resorts due to fears of terrorist attacks there. Security sources said Hamas is also stepping up efforts to seize control over Palestinian Authority territory in the West Bank. But Israeli government leaders vowed to prevent this, while indicating in the strongest words yet that a massive military operation to crush the radical group is pending in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli military forces were placed on heightened alert along both the Lebanese and Syrian borders in early April as Arab leaders charged that the Jewish state was preparing to launch a surprise attack against both countries. The allegation was strongly denied by officials in Jerusalem, who kept a wary eye on unusual Hizbullah and Syrian military activities. Syria's dictator later admitted that he is preparing his country for war, but added he does not expect imminent conflict.

Security measures were tightened during the month at international airports where Israeli commercial jets fly in and out of amid intelligence reports that Hizbullah may be preparing to launch shoulder-fired missiles at such aircraft. Meanwhile an Israeli cabinet minister said Iran would be left in total ruins if it dared to launch ballistic missiles at Israel. This came as Iranian Shiite leaders announced that their uranium enrichment program was being speeded up-a central component in the production of nuclear weapons.

Terror Near Gaza

Palestinian snipers fired at a visiting Canadian interfaith delegation on April 4, wounding an Israeli security guard protecting delegation host Avi Dicter, who serves as Israel's Internal Security Minister. The group was touring the Gaza Strip border area when the attack took place. Officials said snipers came within inches of hitting the Kadima Party cabinet minister. Analysts said had he been killed, a major military operation in the Gaza Strip would probably have been launched by the government.

Two Israeli civilian workers were murdered on April 8 when at least four Palestinian terrorists managed to breach the Gaza border fence. Israeli officials said the squad was planning to kidnap IDF soldiers and take them back into the turbulent Palestinian coastal zone. But they apparently altered their plan when they spotted a large IDF presence in the area.

Instead, the heavily armed terrorists headed toward the nearby Nahal Oz petroleum terminal that supplies fuel for Palestinian vehicles, and also for the Gaza Strip's internal electricity plant. Workers were preparing to head home after pumping European Union-funded fuel into tanker trucks which left the premises for the Gaza Strip just minutes before the deadly assault was launched.

After infiltrating the unguarded terminal, the terrorists opened fire on two civilian workers, both Russian immigrants who lived with their families in Beersheva. The two men, Oleg Lipson, 37, and his longtime friend, 53 year old Lev Cherniak, were riddled with bullets. Eyewitnesses reported their heads and other body parts were literally ripped apart by the torrent of close range bullets.

As shocked employees took cover, nearby Israeli soldiers rushed to the scene and quickly engaged the Palestinian terrorists, killing two of the assailants. But two or three others managed to escape and headed back into the Gaza Strip. At least one was killed minutes later when their vehicle was struck by a missile fired by an Israeli helicopter.

No less than three Palestinian groups claimed "credit" for the bloody assault, which was hailed as a valiant operation by local Arab media outlets. Israeli government officials said the small Islamic Jihad terror group was the most likely culprit. Still, they put the overall blame for the cynical attack-upon an Israeli-run facility that directly aids the Palestinian people every day-squarely on Hamas, saying such a well planned operation could not have taken place without the ruling group's complicity, if not blessing. Fuel supplies were halted for one week after the assault.

IDF In Action

For the first time in nearly one month, Israeli ground forces entered the Gaza Strip within hours of the terror attack. One soldier, Staff sergeant Sayef Bisan, a member of Israel's small Druze community who served with an elite reconnaissance unit, was killed in exchanges of fire with Palestinian gunmen. Several other temporary ground incursions were launched later in the week in response to stepped up Palestinian Kassam rocket fire upon nearby Israeli communities.

In a major operation carried out on April 16, three more soldiers were killed and several others wounded by Palestinian gunmen. The army spokesman said the incident began when IDF forces entered the Gaza Strip in early morning fog after spotting a squad of Palestinians next to the border fence, apparently planning another infiltration attempt. But it turned out to be a well planned trap as the soldiers were quickly ambushed by other Palestinian gunmen hiding in nearby bushes and fields.

The incident happened near Kibbutz Be'eri, which was the apparent destination of the Palestinian terrorist squad. Around 20 Palestinians were killed as the IDF responded to the attack, some of them young non combatants, along with an Arab journalist working for Reuters. Palestinian leaders claimed illegal munitions were used by the IDF. Earlier the same day, four armed Hamas militiamen were killed when an Israeli helicopter spotted them moving in the direction of the Nahal Oz fuel terminal.