Palestinian Terrorism Increases

As Palestinians from across the spectrum—terrorists, imams, and the Palestinian leader—credit “martyrs”, i.e. terrorists with forcing Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the quest to follow in their footsteps appears to be growing. Since the withdrawal, terrorism against Israelis has increased.

On Wednesday August 24, Shmuel Matt, a seminary student from England was stabbed to death near Jaffa Gate. His American friend, Sammy Weissbard was wounded in the same attack.

The following day, Palestinians fired two Qassam rockets from the Gaza Strip into Sderot.
That same day, a high alert was declared in the North after a rocket from Lebanon was lobbed into the northern community of Margaliot.

During the Sunday rush hour, an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber blew himself up at the Central bus station in Be’er Sheva, severely wounding two security guards, and injuring 50 other Israeli citizens.

On Monday, another 14-year-old Palestinian boy was arrested at the Hawara checkpoint north of Nablus, attempting to smuggle three pipe bombs.

Meanwhile, violence has increased in the Gaza Strip:

A soldier was lightly wounded by shots fired at his vehicle near Morag in southern Gaza. The soldier, who suffered shrapnel wounds, was treated by medics at the site. Shots were fired at an IDF post at the Karni-Netzarim road in northern Gaza and at an IDF position near the Kissufim crossing in southern Gaza. Late Sunday night a mortar shell was fired at an IDF post in central Gush Katif. No one was wounded and no damage reported…

…Palestinian security officials uncovered an unspecified number of rockets on Monday that were aimed at the Karni crossing in northern Gaza, apparently in preparation for a terror attack on IDF soldiers. The officials informed the IDF of the find, but have yet to lay their hands on the terrorists who were to launch the attack.

An August 28 article in the New York Times indicates the eagerness among Palestinians to follow their heroes and take the path of violence against Israel.

One of Israel’s most wanted men, the Hamas military leader Muhammad Deif, issued a video on Saturday in which he warns the Palestinian Authority not to try to confiscate Hamas’s weapons and promises Israelis that “all of Palestine will become a hell” for them…

…New posters showed a Rambo-like masked Hamas fighter stepping on the red-tile roofs of Israeli settlement homes while small, black-clad settlers in side-curls fled in terror.

There were also many women marching, a number of them wearing full covering – swathed in black, including the hands, with slits to see through, and topped by the green Hamas caps. Some carried or led young boys and girls dressed in military uniforms, carrying plastic guns.

One mother, Naima Abdullah, 35, called herself “a daughter of Hamas” and said that she had “chosen the path of God.” Hamas, she said, “played the largest role in the resistance,” and she added, “Now it’s time for Hamas to participate in the government of Palestine.”