Israeli military watches idly as rockets launched into Jewish cities

Israeli military watches idly as rockets launched into Jewish cities
Olmert's new rules of engagement restrains army from taking defensive actions
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Posted: December 20, 2006
9:47 p.m. Eastern

By Aaron Klein
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

JERUSALEM – The Israeli Defense Forces today spotted several Palestinian militants launching rockets from the Gaza Strip into nearby Jewish cities but were unable to take any defensive measures due to restrictions imposed by the government, WND has learned.

Military officials said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet changed the IDF's rules of engagement after a cease-fire went into effect Nov. 26. Now, if Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are caught launching rockets at Jewish cities, the Israeli military is forbidden to respond.

Previously, the IDF used artillery units and aerial strikes against militants discovered in the process of launching rockets.

Today, the IDF spotted militants in northern Gaza setting up rocket launchers, military sources told WND. Two rockets then were fired into Israel and landed short at a Gaza-Israel crossing.

Minutes later, the IDF spotted more militants near the same northern Gaza location firing two rockets. Both landed just outside Sderot, an Israeli city about three miles from Gaza.

Then, military sources said, the IDF again spotted militants who this time fired two more rockets, one landing near Ashkelon, a strategic Israeli port city housing important infrastructure and electric facilities.

"We are frustrated just watching the rocket launchers being set up. There is nothing we are allowed to do," said a military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to media.

"So far we've been lucky, but soon one of the rockets will kill someone and then questions should be asked about why we weren't allowed to do anything," the source said.

Today's rocket volleys were the latest in a series of Palestinian attacks since last month's cease-fire in Gaza went into effect.

The Islamic Jihad terror group took responsibility for today's attacks, saying in a statement the rockets were in response to the killings by the IDF earlier today of two wanted Islamic Jihad gunmen in the northern West Bank. The cease-fire agreement only extended to the Gaza Strip, allowing the Jewish state to carry out anti-terror activities in the West Bank.

Olmert: 'No good reason I shouldn't meet Abbas'

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said today Israel would "rethink" its policy of restraint if Palestinian terror groups continue to breach the cease-fire.

"Israel has no intention to gamble with the safety of its citizens, there is a limit to our restraint," said Peretz.

But Olmert said he had faith the cease-fire would work and that it could lead to a comprehensive peace deal with the Palestinians.

He said he would be willing to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for peace talks in the near future.

"If it's possible to make [Abbas] happy and make me happy, then I can't see a reason not to do it, and hope that it will happen very soon," Olmert said during a press conference in Jerusalem with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

Aides to Olmert said a "peace summit" with Abbas may be set up in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence officials warn Palestinians in Gaza continue to smuggle weapons into the territory from neighboring Egypt.

The intelligence officials told WND today the smuggling has "increased enormously" following the outbreak of violent clashes between Fatah and Hamas in Gaza after Abbas this weekend called for new Palestinian elections. Abbas' call was widely seen as an attempt to dismantle the Hamas-led Palestinian government.

Olmert didn't consult army before implementing cease-fire

The truce Israel agreed to last month called for a halt of smuggling activity by Palestinian groups in Gaza. It also called for a cessation of rocket attacks launched by Palestinian militants in Gaza aiming at nearby Jewish communities in exchange for Israel withdrawing its ground troops from the Strip and halting military activity in the territory.

In accordance with orders from Olmert, the IDF removed its troops from Gaza, but Palestinian militants have fired more than 30 rockets into Israel, including a volley hours after the cease-fire was signed.

Earlier this month, IDF chief of staff Dan Halutz told Israel's Knesset that Olmert did not fully consult with the Israeli army before agreeing to the cease-fire with Palestinian militants.

IDF sources and several prominent Knesset members said the cease-fire is damaging Israel's security by allowing Palestinian groups to continue smuggling weapons into Gaza. They said the truce would provide downtime for militants to train for attacks against Israel.

The IDF has been petitioning for a large-scale assault in Gaza.

The officials said that according to IDF assessments, the best options to stop the daily rocket fire from Gaza into nearby Jewish communities and to halt the regular smuggling of weapons from neighboring Egypt include drafted plans to retake parts of Gaza.

They said other options presented to the Israeli government for a large-scale Gaza assault focusing on dismantling the terror infrastructure inside the Gaza Strip have also been rejected by Olmert.

The officials charged Olmert has been restraining the IDF from carrying out what the army believes are operations "crucial" for Israel's security.

IDF military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin and Yuval Diskin, director of Israel's Shin Bet Security Services, both warned in recent speeches to the Knesset that if Israel doesn't launch a major offensive in Gaza, Palestinian groups there will soon have military capabilities similar to Hezbollah's in Lebanon.

Terrorists: Cease-fire means chance to reload

In a series of WND exclusive interviews conducted immediately after last month's cease-fire was finalized, leaders of the four largest Palestinian terror groups in Gaza said the new truce will be used to smuggle weapons into Gaza; reinforce and train "fighter units"; and produce rockets for a future confrontation with the Jewish state.

"The cease-fire offers a period of calm for our fighters to recover and prepare for our final goal of evacuating Palestine," said Abu Abir, spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, a Hamas-allied terror organization in the Gaza Strip responsible for many of the recent rocket attacks against Israeli communities.

"We will keep fighting [Israel], but for the moment we will postpone certain parts of the military struggle," said Abu Abir. "We will reinforce very quickly and rush what we are doing to prepare [for attacks against Israel] in Gaza and in the West Bank."

Abu Abdullah, a senior leader of Hamas' so-called "military wing," told WND Hamas agreed to the cease-fire "because we need a period of calm to recuperate. This lull in fighting will not bring us to speak about peace."

Abu Abdullah is considered one of the most important operational members of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades, Hamas' declared military wing.

He pointed to Hamas' doctrine, which calls for the destruction of Israel and which refuses to recognize the Jewish state.

"The political leadership (of Hamas) will never compromise on these values," the terror leader said.

Abu Abdullah said Hamas has its own political reasons to respect the truce.

"We wish to show Islam as a ruling party is capable of leading the Palestinian people," he said. "Since Hamas was elected, we have been through only chaotic periods. We want a period of calm to prove we are not only a revolutionary movement but to show the Palestinian people our rule is without the corruption of (the rival) Fatah (party)."

But Abu Abdullah said the cease-fire would ultimately end in violence.

"All the Palestinian people and all the Muslims will launch a direct confrontation with Israel. This may come soon or it may take some time," Abu Abdullah said.

Abu Luay, a leader of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, told WND Israel's call for a cease-fire "proves our rocket attacks work. The Zionists know there is now remedy for our rockets."

The Islamic Jihad leader said Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel would resume "at a time of our choosing."

Abu Ahmed, the leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the northern Gaza Strip, told WND his terror group would respect the cease-fire.

The Brigades, responsible for scores of suicide bombings, shootings and rocket attacks, is the declared military wing of Abbas' Fatah party.

"We will respect the cease-fire as the president (Abbas) has ordered us to do," said Abu Ahmed. "We keep our right to respond to any Israeli aggression. Our group does not give up any of its ideals, which is a withdrawal of the Israelis."

According to senior military officials speaking to WND in recent weeks, Olmert has rejected a number of military plans outlined to him for a large-scale assault in the Gaza Strip that would include reoccupation of parts of the territory.

The officials said that according to IDF assessments, the best options to stop the daily rocket fire from Gaza into nearby Jewish communities and to halt the regular smuggling of weapons from neighboring Egypt include drafted plans to retake parts of Gaza.

They said other options presented to the Israeli government for a large-scale Gaza assault focusing on dismantling the terror infrastructure inside the Gaza Strip also have been rejected by Olmert.

The officials charged Olmert has been restraining the IDF from carrying out what the army believes are operations "crucial" for Israel's security.

IDF military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin and Yuval Diskin, director of Israel's Shin Bet Security Services, both warned in recent speeches to the Knesset that if Israel doesn't launch a major offensive in Gaza, Palestinian groups there will soon have military capabilities similar to Hezbollah's in Lebanon.