A Palestinian militant detonated a powerful truck bomb with four tons of explosives at the main pedestrian crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip on Thursday, causing extensive damage that dealt a serious blow to Gazans' hopes of opening up their sealed-off territory.
Though the young man succeeded in killing only himself, the magnitude of the explosion - which shook buildings miles away in both Israel and Gaza - raised fears that Palestinian militants are adopting some of the same tactics as Al Qaeda, Hezbollah and other extremist groups in the region.
The attack also reinforced skepticism about Egyptian-led efforts to bring a truce to the violence-wracked area and hurt international efforts to ease the Israeli-led blockade of Gaza, imposed after Hamas militants violently seized control of the coastal territory almost a year ago.
Later, at the Karni cargo crossing some 5 miles away, a protest against the blockade turned violent, with Palestinians accusing Israeli troops of opening fire into the crowd of thousands, killing a 22-year-old man and wounding 16 other people.
In chaotic scenes, swarms of people darted along a narrow road near the crossing, fleeing tear gas and live bullets as Israeli tanks rumbled into Gaza from the Israeli side of the crossing. The military said soldiers opened fire after spotting gunmen in the crowd, including one carrying an anti-tank missile, and that the gunmen returned fire.
"Zionists, death is coming," loudspeakers blared. "You will fall, your corrupt state will fall," the crowd chanted - reflecting the intensity of Gazans' bottled up frustration a year into Hamas' turbulent rule, which has seen 80 percent of Gaza's adult population descend into poverty, according to the U.N.
Two little boys ran into a field flanked by the tanks while adults in the crowd loudly admonished them to come back. Protesters climbed up electricity poles to hoist the Hamas flag. Ambulances rushed in to evacuate the wounded, and plumes of black smoke climbed into the sky after protesters set tires afire.
The violence at Gaza's border crossings came as Egyptian mediation efforts to forge an Israeli-Hamas ceasefire ran into trouble, with several Hamas leaders claiming the truce talks had failed.
However, Israeli military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement had been made, confirmed that Amos Gilad, a senior Israeli defense official, will travel to Egypt on Sunday for more talks - a sign the truce is still on the table.
Hamas officials blamed Israel for not accepting a proposed six-month truce. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the group had yet to make an official statement.
One Hamas leader participating in the talks, Khalil al-Haya, said the negotiations were still going on and that various Palestinian militant groups planned to meet "to review the outcome of the talks."
Abu Ahmad, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad, one of two groups claiming joint responsibility for the bombing at the Erez crossing, said the attack was meant to "send a message" to Israel that if it didn't accept a truce, "Gaza is not going to be a place where you will enjoy stability."
Yep. Good old Jimmy Carter wants to sit down with these guys because really, they are only a bunch of good guys who are "freedom fighters" right?
That's the kind of carnage that they inflict upon innocent people. And you think I'm going to allow you your own state? You must be out of your fucking minds.
Travis
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