The Israeli military had its first post-ceasefire casualty today, when a roadside bomb near the Kissufim border crossing killed one soldier and wounded three others. So far none of the assorted groups that fought Israel during the invasion of the Gaza Strip has claimed credit for the attack.
But that didn’t prevent Israel from launching attacks of its own. A Palestinian farmer was shot and killed near the border when the troops involved in the bombing opened fire. Israel also launched an air strike against a motorcycle in southern Gaza. Two were injured in the attack: the presumptive target, a Hamas militant, and an anonymous Palestinian bystander.
The attacks may be the first of many as the ruling Kadima Party tries to shore up its pro-war image ahead of the elections, and tries to make up ground against the even more pro-war Likud Party. Foreign Minister and Kadima leader Tzipi Livni demanded an immediate response to the attack, saying that in no way would Israel exercise any restraint in its retaliation. The farmer, the second killed by Israeli forces since the ceasefire, certainly is under no illusions that Israel is exercising anything resembling restraint, but whether this marks a formal resumption of the war which claimed over 1,400 lives remains to be seen.