Earlier on Saturday, Israeli forces, supported by aircraft and main
battle tanks, entered the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya and
captured a Hamas commander, identified as Talat Hassan Marouf. Marouf's
14-year-old daughter was killed in the clash between Israeli troops and
Hamas combatants during the capture.
The alert came in wake of a Hamas confrontation with Israel's military
along the Gaza border, which in 2008 was enhanced by new reconnaissance
systems. On April 25, Hamas mobilized 7,000 Palestinians in a failed effort
to destroy the security fence along the Israeli border.
Officials said Hamas was believed to have used a civilian march toward
Israeli border terminals to conceal the infiltration. Hamas also fired a
Kassam-class, short-range missile into Israel.
"There is a zero-sum game between us and Hamas," former Israeli Deputy
Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said.
The military has also issued an alert along the Jordan Valley, which
borders the Hashemite kingdom. Military sources said farmers in the valley
must report their movements along the Jordanian border with the Israel Army.
They said one scenario was that Hamas and Al Qaida would try to abduct
Israeli farmers.