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IAF kills 2 Gazans after mortars launched at Negev By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff The Israel Air Force killed two Gazans in the Rafah area yesterday, in an air strike the army said targeted a Palestinian cell launching mortar shells at Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, which borders southern Gaza. Palestinians fired at least two Qassam rockets and five mortar shells at the western Negev yesterday, causing no injuries. Advertisement Palestinian sources said the fatalities were brothers, and that four others were hurt in the air strike, adding that the brothers and three of the other casualties were "youths." It appears they may have been sent by the organization that fired the rockets in order to dismantle the launcher. This latest incident is part of a largely low-profile struggle between Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces along the border fence surrounding the Gaza Strip. Since a November 4 IDF operation to locate a tunnel in Gaza, calm has yet to prevail. The small Palestinian groups are responsible for most of the rocket and mortar fire, although Hamas is also occasionally involved. The IDF believes Hamas is trying to force new rules on Israel in the so-called "security perimeter" within the Gaza Strip, the section about half a kilometer into the Palestinian side of the border fence. Between July and October, Hamas militants rarely approached the fence, but over the past few weeks, Palestinian cells have been sent there to place explosives in the area, in anticipation of renewed fighting with the IDF. The cells are also gathering intelligence and reestablishing military outposts. In some cases, most recently on Thursday, the IDF has fired at the militants. Hamas is trying to force Israel to accept its activity in the security zone, and when the IDF hits the militants, the Palestinians respond with heavy mortar and rocket fire on the Negev. At this point, the Palestinian reaction does not appear to be keeping the army from targeting the militants, but it has so far refrained from more extensive action. The IDF held back from responding to mortar fire on the Nahal Oz army base on Friday, which wounded eight IDF soldiers, one of them seriously. It appears that the future of the semi-enforced lull will be determined December 19, six months after the unwritten cease-fire went into effect. Hamas has so far failed to ease the financial blockade of Gaza and bring in more goods, since the crossing points have been closed for most of the past month in the wake of the rocket fire. Meanwhile, a rift is deepening between the Hamas leadership in Gaza and the Egyptian and Saudi governments because Saudi Arabia is not granting entry permits to Palestinians who registered with religious affairs officials in Gaza, rather than Ramallah, to go on the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Israeli security sources believe Hamas may breach the Rafah crossing, as it did in January, if the situation is not resolved. Both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, which is trying to retain control of Hamas-run Gaza in addition to the West Bank, have submitted lists of Gaza Palestinians who want to go on hajj to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Hamas is refusing to let the Gazans registered with Ramallah to leave for the hajj. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Light unto the nations Obama must help Israel break its territorial addiction. Blockade busters Israeli Arab leaders vow to sail to Gaza to break blockade.

Read & React Bradley Burston / The Jihadi as Nazi, from 9/11 to Mumbai Responses: 202 IDF declares Hebron `house of contention` a closed military zone Responses: 83 Amira Hass: Hamas sacrificing Islamic religious rite to keep its iron grip on Gaza Responses: 44 Experts urge Obama to negotiate with Iran, advance Syria peace Responses: 71 Palestinian seriously hurt in Jerusalem stabbing; says Jews attacked him Responses: 82 Rabbi, priest and imam pray together for rain on Kinneret Responses: 35 More Headlines 00:50 Livni: Israel must not let itself turn into the 'wild west' 20:06 Israel deploys hundreds of riot police as tensions in Hebron escalate 19:46 Report: Argentina to halt trade with Iran over Jewish center bombings 16:45 Israeli Arab leaders vow to sail to Gaza to break blockade 16:56 JEWISH WORLD / Obama must help Israel break its territorial addiction 18:27 Egypt MP: We won't let Hamas form an Islamic emirate in Gaza 21:31 Britain to host Fayyad and Olmert for separate talks this month 14:12 Palestinian seriously hurt in Jerusalem stabbing, says Jews attacked him 15:39 Three Qassams hit west Negev, further unraveling Gaza truce 00:23 Ido Pollak appointed CEO of TheMarker 16:54 The Jihadi as Nazi, from 9/11 to Mumbai 20:40 Two men injured in shooting incident in south Tel Aviv 21:23 U.S. court upholds $156 million judgment against Palestinian charities 19:44 Israeli expert: 70,000 children suffer abuse each year in Israel Previous Editions Select Day 03 dec 02 dec 01 dec 30 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 24 nov 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov

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