He did it - No she did- No he did it-No she did-No he did.

One of the enduring myths of the Israeli Palestinian conflict is the tit for tat nature of it. I will not deny the conflict does not hold a certain element of that but it does not happen as often as one might presume or any side claims. Yesterday’s attacks by Hamas are a prime example of what I mean.

Ynet News reported a major work accident in the Gaza Strip Thursday:

Palestinians reported that at least seven people have been killed and 40 more wounded in a large explosion in northern Gaza on Thursday afternoon. Hamas sources told Ynet that two of the seven people killed were senior operatives from the organization: Hassan Abu-Shakfa, one of the organization's commanders in northern Gaza, and Ashraf Mushtaha, another of Hamas' senior operatives.

The incident occurred in the home of Ahmed Hamouda, who is a member of the Izz al-Din al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. A source from the organization said that the fact that the blast occurred during a meeting held by the senior operatives is evidence that the explosion was part of an Israeli attack, and witnesses also reported the explosion was caused by an Israeli airstrike.

However the IDF made clear no forces had launched an attack in the area. Military officials said the army was looking into whether the explosion may have been the result of ammunition detonation, but estimated it most likely appeared to be a Palestinian 'work accident.' Palestinians said there were women and children among those wounded, five of them are said to be in serious condition.

Shortly afterwards Hamas ‘denounced’ the IDF action and a major kassam rocket barrage was launched against Israeli civilians. Meanwhile the IDF speculated yesterday’s rocket barrage as cover for an attack against the Israeli border – Ynet News:

As Israel's Gaza-vicinity communities were hit with dozens of mortars and rockets, Palestinian terrorists reportedly attempted to infiltrate the country with an explosives-laden vehicle. IDF soldiers identified a bulldozer approaching the security fence in northern Gaza at an alarming speed, not far from the Israeli community of Netiv Ha'asara.

At some point the bulldozer came to a halt about and a man was seen stepping out of it and fleeing the scene. The troops proceeded to open fire and hit the man. No injuries were reported among the soldiers, and an investigation has been launched into the incident. Army officials said that Gaza gunmen were planning to use the heavy mortar and rocket fire on the western Negev as a diversion in order to carry out a massive attack at the border fence.

Israeli forces positioned along the Gaza-Israel border have recently received warnings of a possible terror attack with the use of a camouflaged vehicle, similar to the one launched on Passover eve at the Kerem Shalom crossing. In that attack, 13 soldiers were injured when two car bombs were detonated at the terminal, located near the segment of the security fence that separates Israel from the southern Strip. It was estimated that the terrorists also planned to kidnap soldiers back to Gaza.

Today, the Jerusalem Post carries this report:

Eight people, including an infant girl, were killed in the powerful explosion, which flattened the home of a Hamas operative. After Hamas initially blamed Israel for the blast, the IDF immediately said that that was not caused by an Israeli attack but was rather a "work accident," most likely caused by terrorists' faulty handling of explosives.

Hamas's military wing, Izzadin Kassam, said Friday that the previous day's deadly blast in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya was caused by an accident as operatives were "preparing for a special martyrdom operation."

I remember one blogger picking up the Hamas chorus shortly after the abduction of IDF Corporal Shalit. He believed Hamas’ claims that the attack on the IDF border post was the result of an IDF operation in which two Hamas terrorists were arrested two short days before the abduction.

It just could not have happened that way. It takes far more than 2 days to dig a tunnel of several hundred feet which would open shortly before an IDF outpost -especially a clandestine tunnel. The nature of the terrain in the area gives no physical cover either. The IDF makes mistakes from time to time but one should never suspend reason and logic in order to believe Hamas's imaginary claims. It defies all logic to believe the IDF would deliberately leave Palestinian tunnel diggers unmolestated. But just like Hamas, there is just simply no reasoning with most of their apologistas.