Shortly after Olmert orders further attacks on Gaza, a warplane hits Deir Elbalah

Sunday May 27, 2007 21:31

by Rami Al-Meghari - IMEMC News

Just few hours after Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, ordered further attacks on the Gaza Strip, an Israeli warplane, hit today the Deir Elbalah town in central Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (File)

Palestinian sources said that at least one missile landed on an outpost, believed to be a training camp for the Hamas’s military wing, Ezzilidin aL-Qassam No causalities have been reported.

Meanwhile, Israeli gunboats opened fie at fishermen’s boats on Khan Younis shore in the to the south of Gaza Strip.

According to the Israeli Daily, Haaretz, Olmert said during a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that his army’s actions in Gaza would continue even if a ceasefire is called for.

“Our actions are not subject to Hamas’s actions on the ground; whether it opens or halts fire, our actions will continue irrespectively”, Olmert was quoted.

He added “if the Palestinians agree on an internal ceasefire, it would be their own affair that applies to them only”.

Israeli defense minister, Amir Perets, from his part, announced what he termed ‘an end to Israel’s policy of restraint’.

An Israeli resident of Sderot, adjacent to the Gaza Strip, was killed and two others wounded after a homemade shell, fired early on Sunday by Hamas’ aL-Qassam brigades, landed near his car.

Representatives of the rival Fatah and Hamas and other factions, headed for Cairo for talks on cementing their infighting ceasefire and reaching a common ground on restoration of last November’s ceasefire with Israel.

Spokesman of the aL-Qassam brigades warned yesterday of continuous homemade shells fire into Israeli towns unless Israel stops its unabated aerial military offensive on the Gaza Strip, especially the Hamas-linked outposts.

Over the past ten days, Israeli warplanes destroyed dozens of outposts, belonging to the Hamas-formed executive force of the interior ministry, killing 50 Palestinians including Hamas operatives and eight children and wounding about 200 others, mostly bystanders.

Given directions by the Palestinian government, the executive force, made up of 6.000 personnel, have evacuated the outposts.

Underway Israeli attacks on Gaza came after Hamas fired a barrage of homemade shells into nearby Israeli areas amidst heightened infighting with Fatah that claimed by then the lives of 50 Palestinians, including 22 of Hamas.
In November2006, Israel and the Palestinians agreed to a ceasefire after Israel killed in northern Gaza 19 Palestinian civilians including 8 children of the same family.

The ceasefire remained shaky, with Israel attacking the West Bank on daily basis and resistance groups firing homemade shells from time to time ‘in response’.

Palestinian resistance groups insist this time that any ceasefire with Israel should include the West Bank as well.