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Day 23 – 3 Soldiers Killed; Turkey and Qatar Make Mischief; Italian Reporter Confirms IDF Assessment

Today was the twenty-third day of Operation Protective Edge and the twelfth day of ground operations in Gaza.

Three soldiers were killed today when they attempted to secure a booby-trapped building and it was detonated and collapsed on them. The death toll for IDF soldiers now stands at 57.

In The Tower today, Turkey and Qatar were reported to be undermining the Egyptian ceasefire efforts. In a conference call arranged by The Israel Project, Udi Segal, chief diplomatic correspondent for Israel’s Channel 2, said that an Egyptian plan may involve putting the Palestinian Authority in charge of securing Gaza’s borders. The Israel Project publishes The Tower.

An Italian journalist, Gabriel Barbati, confirmed the IDF’s contention that the explosion that killed ten people Monday at the Al Shati refugee camp was the result of an errant Hamas rocket. Barbati also noted that Hamas fighters cleared the scene of debris to conceal their responsibility for the attack.

Leading Hamas terrorist Mohammad Deif is refusing to call a ceasefire. Despite the loss of hundreds of fighters, Deif, in remarks broadcast on Hamas’ Al Aqsa Television, said that he will not agree to a ceasefire until Israel lifts its blockade of Gaza. He also boasted, “The IDF stands before united factions and soldiers who yearn for death.”

Gaza-based terrorists issued a call to the Lebanon-based terrorist organization Hezbollah to join them in their fight against Israel. Both terror groups benefit from Iranian sponsorship.  Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk said, “We hope the Lebanese front will open and together we will fight against this formation [Israel]. There’s no arguing that Lebanese resistance could mean a lot.”

Three IDF soldiers were killed when a booby-trapped UNRWA health clinic exploded and collapsed on them. The elite Maglan unit had uncovered a terror tunnel that opened into the clinic. After the explosion, the unit came under fire from Hamas terrorists. The operation of terrorists in and near the clinic shows the disregard Hamas has for the neutrality of United Nations facilities. It also raises questions about whether UNRWA cooperates with Hamas.

French intellectual  Bernard-Henri Lévy observed in The Wall Street Journal today that “[b]luntly anti-Semitic slogans have marred most European demonstrations in support of the people of Gaza.” His concern is that well meaning advocates for two states will “be manipulated by those whose motive is not solidarity but hate.”

[Photo: idfnadesk / YouTube ]