An Israeli military incursion into the Gaza strip on July 5 left at least 11 Palestinian dead and over 25 injured. This came just weeks after Hamas militarily defeated the he security forces of the Palestinian Authority and Fatah and took control of Gaza.
The attack combined air strikes, tank shelling and fire from Israel’s occupation forces. The forces went as deep as half a mile into Gaza. Six Palestinian homes were damaged and a security station was completely destroyed. Bulldozers destroyed two hectares of farm land in Mughazi. Israel’s Army Radio reported several Palestinians were detained for questioning.
Hamas media spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said the attack was “an Israeli plan to end the resistance and to shake the government.”
The United States and Israel have pursued a strategy of instigating factional fighting between the two dominant Palestinian political factions since Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006. Israel and the United States currently favor Fatah as the more compliant, compromise-oriented partner.
