BICOM

Israel’s Security Cabinet reached no final decision about next steps in Gaza despite a five hour meeting last night.

The Security Cabinet discussed military options in response to a missile attack yesterday that hit a house in Beersheva. Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman is pushing for a military solution before Israel allows more aid and fuel into Gaza or tries to reach a truce with Hamas. Other cabinet ministers reportedly called for harsh military retaliation, whilst some accused Lieberman of failing to present any operational plans for a ground operation in Gaza and for preventing a vote on future action.

An Egyptian delegation has arrived in the Gaza Strip as part of diplomatic efforts coordinated between Israel, Egypt and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov. Egyptian Intelligence chief Abbas Kamel was due to arrive in Gaza today but has cancelled his trip in order to “let matters calm down”. The Egyptians said that they would renew their mediation efforts only if there were three days of quiet.

In a joint statement Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad denied any involvement in yesterday’s missile attack, saying it was “damaging to the Egyptian efforts to lift the siege from Gaza”. Israeli forces yesterday bombed 20 Hamas military sites, including tunnels and weapons factories. Israel holds Hamas responsible for all activity emanating from the Gaza Strip. IDF head of Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi said: “Everything that was struck was destroyed. Hamas will find it difficult to raise the funds to restore these facilities. The IDF is ready for any eventuality and will continue to prepare itself for every scenario. We are capable of responding with even greater force.”

This morning the IDF Home Front Command lifted restrictions on communities around the Gaza border. Speaking in the Knesset yesterday, Deputy Defence Minister Eli Ben-Dahan said an Iron Dome anti-missile battery “will be set up in the BeerSheva area in the coming days”.