Channels

Olmert. Points finger
Photo: Moshe Milner, GPO
Photo: Amir Cohen
Ramon. Harsh response
Photo: Amir Cohen
Photo: Ofer Amram
Eitam. 'Israel hesitant'
Photo: Ofer Amram

Olmert: Abbas, Haniyeh responsible for attack

Prime Minister points finger at Palestinian Authority leaders, claiming they are responsible for shooting incident at IDF post near Kerem Shalom; Minister Ramon does not reject 'entry to Gaza aimed at hitting terror cells'

Referring to the shooting incident in the southern Gaza Strip Sunday morning, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that "the government views the Palestinian Authority, including Abu Mazen (Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas) and the Palestinian prime minister as the people responsible for the serious incident that took place in Kerem Shalom."

 

Olmert said that the minister discussed the issue and will reach decisions. He added that he had been briefed on the details of the incident, which he defined as "very serious," by the defense minister, the IDF chief of staff, and the Shin Bet chief. Six soldiers were hurt in the terrorist attack on the post.

 

Defense Minister Amir Peretz reported to the ministers that according to reports received by the defense establishment holds, the attack was carried out by Hamas.

 

"Hamas' military wing is very active, uncontrollable and cannot be restrained," he added, noting that in the meantime there has not been any agreement on the prisoners' document in the Palestinian Authority.

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eliyahu Yishai (Shas) said before the cabinet meeting that "decisions must not be made in haste although the Strip is warming up."

 

Yishai added: "We promised the citizens that the situation will get better, and if this is not happening we must not agree to the ongoing Qassam fire, the infiltrations and the terror. A decision on what must be done should be made in the cabinet. There is no doubt that the response must be harsh."

 

Justice Minister Haim Ramon promised that Israel would not keep quiet in light of the attack on its territory.

 

"We will look into the possibility of a response that will harshly hit the area from which the terrorists emerged in the southern Strip, even if it requires forces to enter the area, hit the terror cells and leave," the minister said. "We will kill all those involved in terror, and their organizational identity will not protect them."

 

National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said he views the fact that a terror cell entered Israeli territory as a significant incident, beyond its operational ramifications.

 

"This is a very serious incident. We must look into all options, but this is definitely a step up. We should note that the terrorists infiltrated Israel from near the Sufa crossing, which is one of the most important terminals for the Palestinians. This means a lot," he stated.

 

Culture, Science and Sports Minister Ophir Pines-Paz said before Sunday's cabinet meeting that "the Palestinians have yet to understand that once Israel left the Gaza Strip there must not be any terror."

 

Pines added that "incidents like what happened this morning and Qassams fired at Sderot cannot be repeated. Israel must not return to routine and a clear and sharp message must be conveyed, that the terror from Gaza must stop."

 

MK Eitam: Hesitant government attacked

 

Following Sunday morning's incident, right-wing sources harshly criticized the government's conduct opposite the Palestinian terror.

 

Knesset Member Effie Eitam (National Union) said that "while Israel is hesitant about taking action in Gaza against terror, the Palestinians are attacking Israel's sovereign territory."

 

"A government that responds with restraint to rocket attacks on Sderot invites further strikes on soldiers and civilians in all fronts," he added.

 

Knesset Member Uri Ariel (National Union-National Religious Party) said: Once again we receive a painful remainder that we cannot fight against terror from a distance."

 

Ariel added that "the escape from the Strip has caused terror to pursue us everywhere in the form of Qassams and terror cells."


IDF operation after incident, near Gaza border (Photo: Amir Cohen)

 

Head of the Binyamin regional council Pinchas Wallerstein said in response to the Gaza incident that "it is obvious that the uprooting of Gush Katif communities did not improve, but worsened, the security situation."

  

"It's clear that the security threat to the near-Gaza communities has increased after the evacuation," he added.

 

The former spokesman for the Gaza Beach Regional Council, Eran Sternberg, said: "The soldiers that were hurt today were hurt in vain in the 'peace for realignment war' that has started in the last destruction."

 

"This is an illusion of fighting for the sake of covering up for the previous destruction and the one to come," he said.

 

Efrat Weiss and Ilan Marciano contributed to the report

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.25.06, 10:42
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment