An Israeli raid against the Palestinian terror group Islamic Jihad killed three near the village of Tul Karem, and touched off a Qassam rocket attack on Israeli territory.
Late on Friday, Hamas launched up to forty Qassam rockets against the Israeli community of Sderot and its surroundings. At least six people were injured, and damage was inflicted on some houses. In response, the Israel Defense Forces decided to impose curfews on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Also on Friday, 19 Palestinians – including women and children — died when a carload of missiles exploded in the middle of a Hamas military parade.
Attempts to blame Israel for the carnage were cut short when Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas publicly blamed Hamas, which he had previously warned against holding such displays in residential areas.
But the ‘Abbas rebuke did nothing to prevent an attempt to seek revenge on the Israelis. Following the rocket attack on Sderot which injured six, Israel retaliated with air strikes in the northern Gaza Strip, killing four and injuring nine.
Israel said it was resuming its policy of targeted killings of terrorist leaders. Seizing on its right to retaliate, Israel swept into Palestinian communities in the West Bank looking for wanted terrorists. Between Saturday night and early Sunday, more than 200 members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad had been taken into custody, including senior officials.
In response to the weekend’s events, Hamas’ military wing called to resume “all methods of struggle,” including attacks inside Israel.