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Last update - 10:05 01/07/2008
Palestinians who approach Gaza fence will be shot, says IDF
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Palestinians, Gaza, Israel

Israel has informed Hamas it will fire "warning shots" at Palestinians
who enter an area west of the Gaza Strip border fence, extending for several hundred meters.

Egyptian officials told Hamas of the new procedure, which is
e
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xpected to raise tensions between the two sides.

Israel's representative in truce talks, Amos Gilad, told Egyptian mediators of the decision to declare the area west of the border a "special security zone" and to prevent Palestinians from entering it. The Egyptians informed Hamas, which objects to the plan.

Several incidents have occurred near the fence since a cease-fire came into effect on June 19.

Earlier this week the United Nations sources reported eight cease-fire violations by Israel. Most of these violations apparently consisted of Israeli troops firing at people who approached the fence. The information relies mainly on Palestinian accounts.

Israel is interested in maintaining the security zone for fear that
Palestinian terror groups will use the truce to plant explosives on the
Palestinian side of the fence. This would prepare them if fighting resumes. In the past, explosives aimed at Israel Defense Forces vehicles on the Israeli side have been planted in this area.

Israel also fears that Hamas might build a line of fortifications along the fence as a basis for further attacks, as Hezbollah did in Lebanon between Israel's pullout from South Lebanon in 2000 and the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

However, preventing people from approaching the fence will block Palestinian farmers' access to their lands. Farmers have been unable to reach their fields for years because of the fighting along the border. The IDF suspects that some of the farmers are sent by terror organizations to plant bombs or observe Israeli troops.

Throughout the second intifada Israel declared areas along the fence as
"security zones." Soldiers were instructed to fire warning shots at people approaching the fence, and for certain periods were allowed to shoot even at unarmed people. These instructions met resistance in the army, with senior officers saying civilians were being killed.

The IDF believes that Hamas has recently been taking firmer action to curb other Palestinian factions' attacks against Israel. IDF sources told Haaretz that Hamas' leadership in Gaza apparently wants to maintain the truce and is trying to enforce its authority on the smaller factions.

At the beginning of the week Israel opened the border crossings that had been closed last Thursday after Qassam rockets were fired at the Western Negev
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  1.   I`d be glad to shoot them! 05:16  |  Uzi Kaduri 01/07/08
  2.   Shoot at innocent shepherds and candlestick makers? 05:48  |  Stephen in New York 01/07/08
  3.   Well, what`s new here, then?? 05:55  |  Silvienne 01/07/08
  4.   define warning shots 06:15  |  rm 01/07/08
  5.   Demilitirized Zone 06:47  |  Dror 01/07/08
  6.   Women and children 06:50  |  Jeffrey 01/07/08
  7.   An added warning should be given 07:22  |  Dror 01/07/08
  8.   i have an idea 07:42  |  vik 01/07/08
  9.   Silvienne, you are right, nothing is new here 08:24  |  Dan 01/07/08
  10.   No to a ceasefire : Hamas must be crushed. 08:26  |  jean Van Daem 01/07/08
  11.   The Gaza Fence is not even legal under international law 08:35  |  Dutch 01/07/08
  12.   I see..... 08:54  |  Johnboy 01/07/08
  13.   Finally some brain 09:14  |  Rick & TC 01/07/08
  14.   Why not make a tourist attraction out of it? 09:28  |  Andreas 01/07/08
  15.   Dumb Idea 09:36  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/07/08
  16.   Mazal-Tov, actions speak louder than words. 09:42  |  Harvey (Chaim) 01/07/08
  17.   And If Hamas Reciprocates? 09:43  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/07/08
  18.   does this mean captain "r" regains his commission in the idf? 09:44  |  eric 01/07/08
  19.   Dror - It`s NOT a DMZ 09:49  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/07/08
  20.   For Silvienne # 3 09:50  |  Clickfool 01/07/08
  21.   Andreas 09:54  |  Connie 01/07/08
  22.   Just thought I`d point this out.... 10:22  |  Johnboy 01/07/08
  23.   ANITHER misleading Haaretz headlineWARNING shots.Not will be shot 10:26  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
  24.   For Connie# 15 10:26  |  Clickfool 01/07/08
  25.   The IDF is the most moral army in the world 10:54  |  Jerome Dezba 01/07/08
  26.   The IDF is the most moral army in the world 10:58  |  Jerome Dezba 01/07/08
  27.   Peter Sm - What kind of IED? 11:02  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/07/08
  28.   The IDF is a culture of death 11:02  |  Palestinian in UK 01/07/08
  29.   This has been going on for years 11:13  |  Natallie Durson 01/07/08
  30.   ANDREAS.Re AZZAM Israeli spy,freed after intervention bySharon 11:15  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
  31.   ANDREAS war is not a tourist attraction except for perverts 11:18  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
  32.   so lets get this straight 11:19  |  Guy From NYC 01/07/08
  33.   Israel`s Security 11:28  |  US CITIZEN 01/07/08
  34.   Will the Real Jerome Dezba Please Stand Up 11:39  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/07/08
  35.   THE CLOSER THEY GET TO THE FENCE THE DEEPER THE ROCKETS LAND 11:39  |  PalestniansAreA Myth 01/07/08
  36.   The farmers` group should bring a suit against Israel 11:41  |  Dutch 01/07/08
  37.   Anyone Who Expected Israel to Honor the Truce Must Think Again! 11:46  |  Johan Odin 01/07/08
  38.   For Mark, on the real Jerome Debka # 33 11:58  |  Clickfool 01/07/08
  39.   #3 Silvienne - If you want to discuss memories 12:03  |  * BEN JABO 01/07/08
  40.   No right at all 12:05  |  Jan Elshout 01/07/08
  41.   #36 doris cadigan and legal lunacy requested 12:14  |  victor hardman 01/07/08
  42.   #20 you FOOL 12:20  |  Joe Moer 01/07/08
  43.   #23 Care to consider the flipside, PETER SM? 12:22  |  Johnboy 01/07/08
  44.   is not fence the border now ? you have no jurisdiction 12:36  |  mehmet 01/07/08
  45.   MARK of L.Remote detonated at or near the fence as Israelis go by 12:42  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
  46.   #33 Israel`s security 13:01  |  Outsider 01/07/08
  47.   JOHNBOY`Flip side"Hamas says ceasefire.Al Aqsa says they won`t 13:08  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
  48.   They have been given fair warning 13:10  |  YSL 01/07/08
  49.   For Joe Moer, the Devil dances # 42 13:13  |  Clickfool 01/07/08
  50.   PAL in UK Actually Hamas is on record as celebrating death!! 13:15  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
  51.   Lefties and Arabs squeal like stockpigs 13:17  |  Harvey (Chaim) 01/07/08
  52.   # 44 Mehmet - So why do Turkish troops enter Iraq? 13:27  |  Paul Henzen 01/07/08
  53.   Let them come armed! Hole between the eyes guaranteed! 13:36  |  jhon 01/07/08
  54.   gaza fence 13:37  |  rick 01/07/08
  55.   #1 Uzi 13:45  |  Dave 01/07/08
  56.   Online894539@dsl.2gbsh.telkomsa.net 13:45  |  hanif manjoo 01/07/08
  57.   ODIN while"factions"on your side openly say they will not observe 14:03  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
  58.   hanif manjoo.Sort out your ministers shoot to kill orders 14:18  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
  59.   #43 So, not answering the question I see, PETER SM 14:41  |  Johnboy 01/07/08
  60.   suffocation 15:02  |  Mike 01/07/08
  61.   JOHNBOY Yet again! There is NO universal ceasefire from Gaza! 15:03  |  PETER SM 01/07/08
  62.   Message for clickfool & idrekaya 15:08  |  Dirty Harry 01/07/08
  63.   Fence Politics 15:08  |  Jasper 01/07/08
  64.   "Will be shot" vs. "Warning shot" 15:10  |  Free Gilad Shalit 01/07/08
  65.   So if the Palestinians cant set up better defence at their ... 15:23  |  raminPersianPride 01/07/08
  66.   #11 DUTCH 15:26  |  X MILITARY 01/07/08
  67.   # 56 hanif of johannesberg...so, in your feeble 15:28  |  Lynn 01/07/08
  68.   Auchtung Ze Fence 16:14  |  Claes 01/07/08
  69.   Jews who comes close to the fence will be shot too :) 16:17  |  POP 01/07/08
  70.   Routine