Gaza-Israel front escalates

From DEBKAfile, October 30, 2007:

Gaza-Israel front escalates with heavy mortar attack on Israeli village

Defense minister Ehud Barak reiterated: Every passing day brings a major IDF operation nearer.

...Tuesday night, Oct. 30, Gazan Palestinians pounded Netiv Ha’asara to the north with a barrage of 10 mortar shells. One smashed a house and also damaged its neighbors. Only slight injuries are reported. Two Qassam missiles were fired at Kibbutz Saad, damaging a home after two landed earlier near Sderot.

Monday, Paratroop Reserve St. Sgt. Ehud Efrati, 34, from Beit Yehoshua, was killed, another Israeli soldier seriously injured in counter-terror operations in Gaza. Two other soldiers suffered minor injuries. The unit continued fighting, killing one of the gunmen and injuring others, in an operation to stop mortar fire on Israeli locations...and Palestinian attempts to send bombers from the southern Gaza Strip into Israel.

.... The entire length of Gaza’s border fence is constantly buffeted by terrorists attempting to cross into Israel, only to be fended off in daily engagements with Israeli forces. Last week, 20 Palestinian would-be intruders were killed in these attempts.


Hamas conducts big guerilla exercise in Gaza’s Al Burej camp focusing on maximum Israeli troop casualties and abductions

...Heavily armed masked Hamas operatives performed field exercises Tues. Oct. 30 in anti-aircraft tactics, assaults on buildings occupied by Israeli troops, and methods of identifying and targeting Israeli undercover and special forces units. A special sniper unit also took part in the drill. The tactics Hamas demonstrated reflected lessons drawn from Hizballah’s experiences in battles with Israeli forces during the 2006 Lebanon War and techniques imparted in special training courses they attended in Iran and Syria.

Our military sources add that, like Hizballah, Hamas has set up small, swift units to meet an Israeli advance into the Gaza Strip with strikes from the rear and attacks on transport routes.
All Hamas tactics are geared ultimately to maximizing Israeli troop casualties and abducting hostages.

Last month, Egypt allowed 85 Hamas graduates of these courses to cross Sinai and return home to Gaza.