Mortar attacks persist
Photo: AP
Hamas fires 8 mortar shells
Terrorists testing Israel: Mortar shells launched from central Gaza, land in Palestinian areas
Shaky ceasefire in Gaza: Palestinian terrorists fired eight mortar shells from the central Gaza Strip Tuesday, the army said. However, it appears all shells landed in Palestinian areas, possibly due to a malfunction.
In one case, the Air Force spotted a mortar near a refugee camp and targeted it.
IDF officials are closely monitoring developments in the Strip and estimate that the shells were fired by Hamas and other terrorist groups that are attempting to "generate" several terror attacks daily.
Army sources told Ynet that terrorists resorted to mortar fire, rather than a more potent attack, as not to prompt a harsh IDF response, while still maintaining a certain level of terror activity. The IDF said that the mortar attacks constitute a violation of the Gaza ceasefire and that the army will convey an unequivocal message to Hamas that such attacks are unacceptable and would not be disregarded.
Defense officials said that Hamas was undermining humanitarian efforts in the Strip by firing mortar shells at goods crossings. The sources added that in some cases trucks carrying humanitarian aid were looted.
Earlier Tuesday, Palestinians fired at an IDF force traveling along the Gaza Strip fence. A short while later, Palestinians fired at other forces in the central Gaza Strip. No injuries or damages were reported in either attack.
