Tamir: Hamas is heavy burden on our soldiers

Tensions eased along the Gaza Strip border yesterday, after two weeks of exchanges of fire. However, military sources said the situation still remained far from a return to a full cease fire.

The Israel Defense Forces had orders to act with restraint yesterday as commanders gained the impression that Hamas wants to resume the truce and is reining in the smaller militant Palestinian factions, the sources said.

Two Qassam rockets landed in an open area south of Ashkelon yesterday and a mortar shell fell in the western Negev. Shots were fired at an IDF unit close to the border in the northern Gaza Strip. Nobody was hurt.

Outgoing Gaza division commander Brigadier General Moshe Tamir yesterday described Hamas as the cruelest, most fanatic enemy he had ever encountered.

Tamir spoke at the ceremony for incoming division commander Brigadier General Eyal Eisenberg. He said that in the two years and three months he has served in the Gaza Strip the IDF killed some thousand militants and foiled hundreds of terror attempts.

"This is a heavy burden on the shoulders of young people, acting far away from the spotlight," he said.