The IDF was suspicious of the excessive eagerness of the Palestinian brigade commander to enter into a confrontation to make up for the fiasco he was accused of by the Palestinian media following the dedication of a new neighborhood in Netzarim. The Hamas and the Islamic Jihad are apparently behind the incidents. But their skills are nowhere near those of their counterparts in Lebanon. Only one Israeli was slightly injured in the attacks. The bombs are usually improvised, although the manner of their detonation is becoming increasingly sophisticated.
Every squad has a lookout, which lets the other know of an approaching convoy by cellular phone.
The terrorists operating in the Netzarim corridor come from the southern neighborhoods of Gaza. The IDF is convinced that if the Palestinian security forces really wanted to capture the terrorists, the squads would already be languishing in jail. Meanwhile, construction at Netzarim continues. Just over a month ago, a new neighborhood of private homes was dedicated in the settlement in the presence of Housing Minister Yitzhak Levy and MKs from the right. Netzarim, the thorn in Gaza's flesh that despite their desire to do so, neither Yitzhak Rabin nor Shimon Peres dared to evacuate, is a symbol for both sides.