Days like this make it seem as if only a fool can have hope for peace in Israel.
IDF soldiers killed three unarmed Palestinian teens near Rafah as they spotted 5 Palestinians crawling in a restricted area. Three suddenly started running towards the Egypt border when the soldiers opened fire. Israeli officials say that warning shots were fired. Palestinian sources claim that the teens were playing football. Israeli sources claim that a probe conducted by Palestinian security officials revealed that they had been involved in smuggling weapons. The two other teens ran back into Rafah, where they were picked up by Palestinian security officials and allegedly confessed to being involved in weapons smuggling. Palestinian officials have since denied this claim.
An Israeli commander at the scene said the youths were spotted crawling on their stomachs deep inside a closed military zone. He said three of the youths got to their feet and began running toward the border. The teenagers were about 250 yards into the closed area when they were shot on a military patrol road, he said. “These kids were not playing soccer,” said the commander, whose name was withheld under military regulations. “You don’t get there by accident.”
In response Palestinian terrorists have pounded Gush Katif, firing over 50 mortars.
In another depressing incident Israel sealed off access for non-Muslims to the Temple Mount, Judaism's Holiest site, currently under administration of the Islamic trust. Israel has closed the area off to Jews to thwart a march which Palestinians said could scupper the cease fire and ignite the third uprising. The march in my opinion is needlessly provocative and will only incite violence resulting in more deaths. I agree that a point should be made that the site is Holy to both Israelis and Palestinians and that both people should be able to pray there, however under strict Judaic tradition, Jews shouldn't even go to the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount is where the two Jewish temples stood, and in one of the rooms was a place called the "Holy of Holies", a place where only the great Kohen could enter. By walking on the Mount you may end up in the spot where the room existed which is forbidden by Jewish law until the temple is one day rebuilt. Whatever your opinion on the issue, the threatened response by the Palestinians is outrageously exaggerated.
“We are warning the Zionists against any such stupidity ... which would be seen as a declaration of war without possibility of truce or calming down,” the groups said in a joint statement. Signatories included the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Popular Resistance Committees.
The sentiment was forcefully echoed in a separate statement by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. “Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque are a red line that no Zionist should be able to cross,” it said.
The warnings were issued after the ultra-nationalist Jewish group Revava announced plans to organize a 10,000-strong prayer session at the disputed compound, which housed the Jewish temple until it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Considered as the most sacred spot in Judaism, the compound is also the third-holiest site in Islam.
By mid-morning only a few hundred Jews had turned up for the march which they said would draw 10 000 people.
UPDATE
After bracing for possible violence, the morning passed without major incident. 16 far right activists were arrested and one policeman was injured after being hit in the head by stones thrown by protesting Palestinians.
Jews were not even allowed near the Western wall.
Well done to the Israeli police who have proved their ability to keep both Israelis and Palestinians in check.
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