Gaza factions warn the enclave is a boiling volcano about to explode

Four IDF soldiers suspended over August 1 infiltration attempt by Hamas

By ANNA AHRONHEIM
Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip called on Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to set the “ground ablaze.”
Factions in the Gaza Strip are calling the series of attempted infiltrations into southern Israel by young men “a harbinger of a larger explosion,” and are urging Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to set the “ground ablaze.”
“We have warned the Zionist enemy against persisting in their crimes, but the leadership of the enemy is still playing in the fire,” read a statement by various Palestinian factions in the Strip reported on Tuesday by the Gaza-based Safa Press Agency. “Gaza is a boiling volcano which will explode in the face of the enemy and the leadership of its soldiers,” the statement added.
On Saturday, three armed Palestinians were killed by IDF troops the factions warned, “What is happening in al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem will incur an escalation and confrontation against the occupier.”
The factions held Israel responsible for “the crime of targeting young people who rose up in Gaza because of its persistence in the siege of Gaza and repeated attacks against the Holy City and al-Aqsa Mosque and its successive crimes against prisoners.”
The resistance factions called “the sons of the security services in the Palestinian authority to direct their guns towards the Zionist enemy and rapists,” and demanded the authority to “cancel security cooperation and release the hand of resistance in the West Bank to play its role in curbing the Zionist enemy.”
In a related development, on Tuesday, four IDF soldiers were suspended following an investigation into an August 1 infiltration attempt by an armed Hamas terrorist who shot and wounded two soldiers and an officer. During the cross-border attack by Hani Abu Salah, a member of Hamas’ border patrol, three soldiers from the Golani Brigade who were called as reinforcements “did not enter the combat zone” after they arrived at the scene.
While the investigation revealed “worthy operational actions,” there were also gaps in the conduct of the reinforcements commanded by a sergeant. “The investigation revealed that the platoon commander, and the fighters who were with him, as well as the deputy commander who arrived at the event, strived for contact,” the army said, adding that “another force commanded by a sergeant did not try to engage Abu Salah.
“Following an investigation, Golani Brigade commander Col. Shai Klapper decided to suspend the squad leader and two soldiers from combat and from command for not acting as expected during an operational event,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.
In addition, a driver from the Southern Gaza Brigade was also suspended from his position.
Also on Tuesday, Ynet reported that the Palestinian Authority Intelligence Services has warned of a possible deterioration of the security situation in the West Bank which could lead to another violent uprising.
According to the report, there will be an increase in shooting attacks and the use of improvised explosive devices by Palestinians in their mid-twenties who see no hope for change. The report also warned that Hamas leadership in Gaza is continuing to enlist Palestinians in the West Bank to carry out terror attacks.
According to Ynet, the report was submitted to the PA just days before two Palestinians murdered Dvir Sorek, 18, in Gush Etzion on August 8. On Friday, siblings Noam Nevies, 19, and her brother Nahum, 17, were seriously injured in a vehicular ramming attack also in Gush Etzion.
Tzvi Joffre contributed to this story.


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