After Riots, Liberman Cuts Off Fuel to Gaza

In light of the violent riots on the Gaza border Friday, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has ordered a stop to the delivery of diesel fuel for Gaza’s power plant that had begun last week. In a statement, Liberman said that “Israel will not tolerate where on the one hand we allow the entry of fuel oil to Gaza and on the other hand we get terror and violence against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians. Hamas continues to praise terror and to assist in the carrying out of terror attacks against Israel.”

After riots Friday on the Gaza border, in which some 15,000 Gaza Arabs threw rocks and firebombs at Israeli soldiers along the border, two terrorists breached the border fence on Shabbos and threw a firebomb at Israeli soldiers, returning to Gaza after the attack. In an incident Friday, terrorists climbed the fence and, under cover of smoke from firebombs and burning tires, placed an explosive device on the Israeli side of the border before climbing back and returning to Gaza.

The device exploded, creating a hole in the fence that enabled some 20 terrorists to crawl through. Most returned after IDF soldiers began opening fire. According to Channel 20, one of the terrorists physically attacked a soldier before returning to Gaza. Several of the terrorists were killed in the incident.

On Shabbos, meanwhile, there were numerous incidents of terror balloons in Israeli skies, with one discovered Motzoei Shabbos at Kibbutz Givat Brenner, near Rechovot in central Israel. The balloon touched down on the ground and set off a blaze, which was quickly put out by firefighters. Another balloon was sighted at Ein Kerem in Yerushalayim, and was taken by a resident of the area to the local police station. On Friday night, a balloon was discovered on Road 38, outside Beit Shemesh, and was disarmed by police. Several balloons were also caught in the Gaza border area. A fire in the Be’eri Forest on Shabbos was attributed to a terror balloon.