Operation Cavaliers' Wrath Continues

Palestinian terrorists are saying that they're setting up kidnapping units, with the express purpose of capturing Israelis until Israel succumbs to Palestinian demands.

A spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, Abu Abir, told Ynet on Tuesday that that his organization has formed special units in the West Bank whose sole purpose is to kidnap soldiers and settlers, in accordance with the continued Operation "Cavaliers' Wrath."

"Our goal it to imprint the message in the Israeli consciousness that regardless of more Palestinian deaths, the resistance will continue to strike at you, until the occupation ends."

Israeli strikes have continued, including hitting a Hamas base inside Gaza.

Israeli aircraft attacked a Hamas training base in a former Jewish settlement in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, witnesses said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties. An Israeli army spokeswoman said the military had carried out several air strikes in open areas in southern Gaza but had not targeted any specific person or structure.

Witnesses said the missile hit a training camp used by militants from the governing Islamic movement Hamas in Morag, a former Israeli settlement. It was unclear if anyone was inside the camp.

The attack was launched hours after Israeli tanks and infantry moved into the Gaza Strip in what Israel described as a search operation for a soldier abducted on Sunday by Palestinian gunmen in a cross-border raid.

The Times reports that Gazans are waiting defiantly for the Israelis to come. Yeah, until the first bombs hit and they hide behind civilians so that they can claim that the Israelis are targeting civilians. Actually, they wont even wait until the first bombs hit. The Palestinian terrorists live and work among the civilian populations in Gaza and West Bank, knowing that Israel is reluctant to strike at the terrorists because of the perception that Israel is going to inflict civilian casualties. Despite the utmost care Israel takes in targeting terrorists, the civilian casualties do happen, but the blame rests squarely on the terrorists.

Abu Mazen sees things are going to end badly for the Palestinians, so he's ordered his Fatah forces to find Shalit. Good luck with that.

The PRCs, which are another name for Hamas, have claimed that they'll kill another kidnapped hostage, Eliahu Pinchas Asheri, if Israel doesn't stop the Gaza raids. Indeed, it's the Palestinian Authority preference to continue with kidnapping Israeli citizens until their demands are met.

Carl in Jerusalem has running updates. Also see Meryl Yourish, Kesher Talk, Hot Air, and Vital Perspectives (currently down) for more updates throughout the day.

UPDATE:
Israellycool has a running update that shouldn't be missed.

UPDATE:
Israeli jeeps have surrounded a building in Ramallah, though few details are being provided.

Unconfirmed reports said that the building is the headquarters of Fatah in the West Bank, and that the troops were searching for the missing Eliyahu Asheri.

UPDATE:
Fixed header, which might cause some problems linking but that's blogger for you.

UPDATE:
Israel has captured an airfield near Rafah and Hamas continues to refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. The BBC reports the latter as if it is actually news. Hamas has never recognized Israel's right to exist, and never will. It's the very reason for Hamas' existence - to destroy Israel. Pamela at Atlas Shrugs has more.

UPDATE:
According to storage manager at LGF, Ha'aretz reports that IAF aircraft buzzed the palace where Syrian President Assad is staying. Considering that Syria is harboring Hamas leadership and has been providing support for Hamas and Hizbullah (along with Iran), Israel's actions are warranted. However, it has to tread carefully as dealing with Syria would open a second front and restart a conflict with a military that does have tanks and other anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons.

Debka is reporting the first resistance to the IDF incursion into Gaza.

The terrorists continue firing rockets into Israel.

Israel has destroyed a rocket cache discovered in Gaza in an IAF airstrike.

Technorati: terrorism, fatah, Gilad, Shalit, Olmert, Eliyahu, Ashri, Abbas, Rains, Summer, cavaliers, wrath, PRC, Hamas, Gaza, palestinian, Israel