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Israel strikes Gaza after 3 soldiers killed, 3 wounded in Hamas ambush By Amos Harel Three Israel Defense Forces soldiers and at least 20 Palestinians were killed in the most intense day of fighting in the Gaza Strip for over a month. Palestinian fatalities included at least 10 civilians, five children and a cameraman. The soldiers were killed in an ambush by Hamas militants. Despite the escalation yesterday, Israel appears to be trying to avoid a major confrontation due to the upcoming Passover holiday as well as the planned 60th Independence Day and visit by U.S. President George Bush. But security officials believe that yesterday's barrage of 26 Qassam rockets on the Western Negev may be a sign that residents of the area will spend their seders in their shelters. Advertisement The incident yesterday in which three soldiers from Givati Brigade's Tsabar battalion were killed occurred at 6:15 A.M. opposite Kibbutz Be'eri. An army surveillance unit spotted two Palestinians approach the border fence carrying explosives. A company of 11 soldiers and an officer was sent in to engage the cell in Palestinian territory. Soldiers tried to encircle the cell but because of hazy conditions in the area, neither the officer nor the surveillance unit spotted an additional force of four Hamas men who were covering for the cell from a nearby hill. The officer and his company walked right into the trap: Four militants opened fire from less than 100 meters away. The fusillade mortally wounded Corporal Matan Ovadati,19, of Moshav Patish, Sergeant David Papian, 21, of Tel Aviv, and Sergeant Menhash al-Banyat, 20, from a Bedouin village in the Negev. Three other soldiers were hurt, two moderately and another lightly. The company returned fire but was in an inferior position and had difficulty identifying the source of fire. Another company, which was sent as reinforcements, hit one of the Hamas militants but he was carried away by the other five gunmen who retreated unscathed. Helicopters scramble Those who expect an easy war in Gaza will be unpleasantly surprised, doubly so if Israel launches an offensive in the future. Yesterday IDF helicopters were scrambled to cover for the troops that were ambushed. Suspects believed to have been armed and dangerous were spotted, and a missile was launched at them. Some 12 children were killed in the resulting explosion. Earlier, in a separate operation by Givati in east Gaza, four Hamas gunmen were killed. Despite the fighting, it seems Israel is better off postponing a large-scale ground operation in Gaza. A relative calm had prevailed for a few weeks since the Givati Brigade's "Warm Winter" operation in early March, in which some 120 Palestinians were killed. Both sides showed restraint as Egypt tried to broker a deal between them. But the lull in fighting ended in late March when several Palestinian factions decided to increase the firing of Qassam rockets on Israel. Hamas militants gradually joined them when they sent cells to carry out attacks on IDF soldiers near the border. After two civilian drivers were murdered by militants at the Nahal Oz gas terminal on April 8, the IDF renewed its nightly incursions into the outer areas of the Gaza Strip. The army considers these areas, between the border fence and the city's buildings, to be security zones, and they are about two and a half kilometers in width. The quiet period in mid-March allowed militants to return to this area and use it as a base for ambushes and sniper fire against the military and civilians near the border. War findings The encounter opposite Be'eri yesterday is closely related to IDF findings in the wake of the Second Lebanon War. Basic IDF stratagems such as engaging the enemy were questioned. Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi emphasized in talks with commanders and soldiers the importance of sticking to the army's codes of engagement. In the case of the army's activity in the Gaza area, this code is interpreted as chasing terrorists trying to infiltrate Israel into the Gaza Strip. The decision over whether to open a chase is under the authority of the company commander, usually necessitating approval by the battalion commander. Commanders who failed to take action paid a price: Last month two officers from Givati who did not launch a party to engage the enemy were removed from their posts. The Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Aharonoth two days ago published a report that an Armored Corps battalion commander was considering submitting his resignation after a probe claimed he was too hesitant in ordering troops to chase militants that launched the attack on the Nahal Oz crossing last week. Usually, IDF chases into the Gaza Strip end without troop casualties and often with successfully wounding or killing the militants. In what happened yesterday, decisions were made under pressure and in a short period of time. Initial inquiries show the force was not spread out enough, increasing its vulnerability to attack. Also,its chosen route was problematic and did not allow cover to be provided by a second group as it moved through low-lying areas. Hamas militants were the first to open fire from short range, rendering the IDF's better training and equipment almost useless. Fighters praised Senior commanders in GOC Central Command claimed that the company fought bravely, and determinedly as was required and added that orders are unlikely to change: Chases into the Gaza Stip will continue, but the taking of precautious measures will be stressed. The incident has no text book answer, as troops must respond differently when a cell attacks a border crossing such as in Nahal Oz and when one plants an explosives device. Ashkenazi and Gaza Division Commander Moshe Tamir did not take part in the Second Lebanon War. Both are graduates of the fighting in southern Lebanon, which ended with Israel's withdrawal from its buffer zone in May 2000. Ashkenazi was then GOC Northern Command and Tamir a sector commander. Both remember that the IDF's frequent change in orders, which were influenced by morale and its losses. The army oscillated between extreme truculence and passivity. One must hope that the army will be wise enough to avoid a repeat of such rapid changes in strategy in the future. Another conclusion drawn from the incident next to Be'eri regards the increase in the professionalism of Hamas militants. GOC Southern Command insists there was no bait ploy at work but have no explanation as to what four Hamas gunmen were doing waiting in ambush so close to the fence. Undoubtedly, the IDF is numerically far stronger and more skilled than its enemies, but the amount of abuse it can take is also different. Since the beginning of the year eight soldiers and two civilians were killed in fighting by the border in comparison to only three soldiers in the whole of 2007. Bookmark to del.icio.us   A gentleman's word Olmert tells Haaretz he knows Iran won't have nuclear capacity. Farewell to arms B'Tselem says IDF must ban wide-range shell that killed civilians in Gaza.

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