On June 1, Palestinian gunners fired at least six rockets and anti-tank
missiles toward Israel, including two that landed in the southern city of
Ashkelon. The Israel Air Force foiled another attack and killed a
three-member Islamic Jihad missile squad in the northern Gaza Strip.
"The Israel Defense Forces holds Hamas solely responsible for terror
emanating from the Gaza Strip," the military said.
The sources said Hamas security forces were stopping Palestinian
militias from significantly escalating violence with Israel. At the same
time, the Islamic regime in the Gaza Strip was said to be in close contact
with Iran, its leading ally and military supplier.
"Iran is using extremist organizations and states in order to distract
world attention, and it is entirely possible that the timing of the
terrorist flotilla is not coincidental," Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister
Danny Ayalon said.
In another incident, two Palestinian fighters were killed as they sought
to infiltrate Israel from the southern Gaza Strip. The military said the
Palestinians engaged Israeli troops in a gunbattle near the Gaza border
fence.
The source said Hamas was expected to maintain low-intensity warfare
against Israel amid the furor of the Israel Navy seizure of the
Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara. But they said Hamas has also warned
Palestinian militias against launching missile salvos into Israel.
"Iran has been closely monitoring the situation and does not want
another Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip," the source said. "The Hamas
leadership understands this."
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