Hamas victory barrage?

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By Stan Goodenough
June 12, 2008

Hamas claimed credit for more than 60 rockets and mortars that pulverized southern Israel Thursday afternoon, one day after the Israeli government announced it was inclined to agree to a truce with the group.

The Gaza-controlling terrorist organization originally said it had launched the barrage in "retaliation" for what it said was an IDF attack on a Gaza Strip home earlier in the day.

A simultaneous large scale terrorist attack at the Gaza "border" fence was thwarted by the IDF, reported the Ha'aretz news website.

According to The Jerusalem Post, a powerful blast had ripped through a two-story house reportedly belonging to a top Hamas commander, killing three people and injuring 20 more. Hamas officials said the house belonged to one of their top commanders.

But a Hamas leader later acknowledged that it may have been a terrorist "work accident" that nearly destroyed the building. Dozens of "Palestinian" terrorists have been killed unintentionally over the years while mishandling explosives meant to be used against Israel, Ha'aretz said.

Observers wondered whether Hamas had used the explosion as a pretext to launch a final massive attack before a ceasefire with Israel goes into effect.

By so doing, the terror group would underscore its purported "victory" over Israel, boosting its popularity among the Palestinian Arabs.

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• Triple terror attack hits south
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