This Is the Hamas I Expected; Hamas Attacks Again

So, do you still think Hamas is trustworthy to honor agreements? Former President Carter still thinks so (reported prior to today's events). He couldn't be more hopelessly wrong. He's been proven wrong yet again.

A roadside bomb blew up near an Israeli patrol, and an Israeli soldier was killed and several others wounded.

Following the incident, the IDF fired at several targets inside Gaza and IDF soldiers briefly crossed the border in search of the attackers.

IAF helicopters hovered in the air firing machine gun bursts, Palestinian witnesses said. An IAF jet set off a loud sonic boom over Gaza City not long afterward, possibly as a warning.

Palestinians reported that several people were wounded when IDF tank shells hit residential buildings in the Strip.

It was not clear if the bomb had been planted after the cease-fire took hold, or whether it was an older device.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas leader, said Israel was to blame for continuing to fire into Gaza. Al-Masri said his group had not agreed to a full cease-fire but only to a "lull" in fighting.

"The Zionists are responsible for any aggression," he said.

Note that part in bold. Hamas doesn't agree to ceasefires, only hudnas. Hamas doesn't deny that they engaged in the attack, and that they blame Israel for continuing to retaliate against Gaza. They're in effect saying that the timeout that Israel has provided will be used for one purpose; to rearm and regroup for the next attack.

The New York Times reports that a Palestinian farmer and Israeli soldier were killed. Really? Who set the bomb? A farmer? Who was engaging in sniper fire against the Israelis? Farmers?

The attack was coordinated with sniper fire according to Palestinian witnesses.

Palestinian sources reported that exchanges of fire erupted in the area, including sniper fire.

Eyewitnesses said two or three gunmen were seen moving towards the border fence in the early morning hours.

Heavy gunfire was audible along the border in central Gaza and Israeli helicopters hovered in the air, firing bursts from their machine guns, the witnesses said. Two loud explosions were reportedly heard in Gaza City.

Hamas has again scattered and hidden out to avoid airstrikes. Expect the uniforms to be put back in the closet while the terrorists roam the streets waiting for word on when to resume their full scale attacks on Israel.

There are also reports of mortar or rocket fire against Israel.

Israel is also engaging in strikes against Southern Gaza.

The Muqata reports that all Israeli communities within 40km of Gaza have had their rocket/mortar warning systems reconnected. Why are they ever disconnected?

The Muqata also notes that Israel's denials that rocket attacks have occurred appears to be a political decision, and one that undermines Israeli national security. The death of an Israeli soldier and the wounding of three others can't be easily ignored. Today's attack was a coordinated strike against Israel, and as I have repeatedly warned that Israel's failure to continue Operation Cast Lead to attack Hamas targets and eliminate Hamas leadership will come back to haunt Israel as the attacks resume.

Meanwhile, word has come out that a possible reason that Hizbullah didn't open a second front in the war against Israel was that Israel threatened Syria directly that any attacks by Hizbullah would result in Israel going after the regime in Damascus. That's as good an explanation as to why Hizbullah showed restraint despite claims that they, along with other Islamists, would come to the aid of Hamas. When you threaten the regimes that back the terrorists with mortal harm, that provides a moment of clarity.

Egypt says that it wants a permanent truce in place by February. Fat chance of that happening. Today's events continue to overtake the diplomatic efforts, which repeatedly paper over the facts - namely Hamas and their unwavering intent to destroy Israel and seek a one-state solution. US envoy George Mitchell isn't going to have any better success than any of his predecessors, but it makes President Obama look like he's doing something to bring about peace and impressions count more than facts, at least according to the media and the diplomats. Terrorists don't particularly care.

There is only one thing to trust when it comes to Hamas and the other Islamic terrorist groups - that they will fight the jihad and slaughter as many people as possible in their quest. Everything else is window dressing and misdirection to lull people in to a false sense of security.

UPDATE:
Via Charles at LGF comes word that Hamas executed a former human rights worker from the Israeli group B’Tselem. The excuse? He was a "collaborator."

A Palestinian human rights activist and journalist who used to work for the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem has been executed by Hamas on charges of “collaboration” with Israel, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip said over the weekend.

They identified the man as Haidar Ghanem, 46, of Rafah.

They pointed out that Ghanem, who was a field researcher for B’Tselem, had been sentenced to death by a Palestinian Authority court in 2002 after being found guilty of passing on information to Israel that later resulted in the elimination of Fatah gunmen.

Ghanem, according to the Palestinians, was among dozens of suspected “collaborators” who were executed by Hamas during Operation Cast Lead.

Hamas has been busy murdering people they believe to be collaborators during and following Operation Cast Lead because Israeli intel was that good; so many of their caches and terror minions were hit by Israeli raids. This is a message sent to those who might support Fatah or want to see Hamas ousted from Gaza; anyone who opposes Hamas will face execution should they be caught. It's incentive not to act against Hamas.