Once again the Palestinians stop terrorist activities and give the Israelis a chance to show they want peace. And once again the Israelis demonstrate they have no intention of stopping, or even slowing down, their depredations against the Palestinians. And once again, I'm sure, the U.S. press will blame the Palestinians for fighting for their survival.

Who Violated the Hudna?
by Gideon Levy

The next terror strike is on its way. You don't need to be an expert on terror, or a compulsive gambler, to foresee that Islamic Jihad will try very soon to avenge the death of Mohammed Sider, the head of the organization's military wing in Hebron.

Experience teaches that virtually every such assassination breeds a terror attack. This week, in response to the slaying of Hamas men Hamis Abu-Salam and Faiz A-Sadar at Nablus' Askar refugee camp—assassinations accompanied by the killing of two innocent men, Fazi Al-Alamiand Mahmoud a-Tak—reprisals were not long in coming. These came as two suicide attacks, at Ariel and at Rosh Ha'ayin.

Much as Israel claims that the Palestinians are violating the truce and regrouping in order to perpetrate savage acts of terror, its pleading can't alter the facts: up until Israel renewed its assassinations campaign, there were no suicide bombings, and the two attacks last week were direct responses to the Askar refugee camp slayings.

Is this fact on the minds of the assassinations' planners each time they plot another operation? How can anyone seriously contend that the assassinations contribute to Israeli security since each one leads directly to the killing of Israeli civilians? Since 2000, Israel has in such operations liquidated 136 Palestinians, along with dozens of innocent victims, and terror has yet to be extinguished. Dozens of Israelis have been killed in retaliation, and yet Israel continues to wield this dubious weapon, which abrogates international law and is ineffective.
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How the truce was broken

Killing of Hamas leader ends truce

Five Israeli missiles incinerated Ismail Abu Shanab in Gaza City yesterday, killing one of the most powerful voices for peace in Hamas and destroying the ceasefire that Palestinian leaders believed would avert civil war.
[...]

Hamas declared an immediate end to the truce and vowed a bloody revenge for the death of Abu Shanab, who was married with 11 children.

"This means Sharon does not believe in peace," Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, one of the founders of Hamas, said. "The ceasefire is dead. There will be very strong retaliation."
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Israel vows to kill more Palestinian militants

Israel plans to kill more Palestinian militants, military officials warned, as thousands of Palestinians gathered for the funeral of the Hamas leader killed yesterday, promised thunderous revenge.
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