Gaza Fighting Intensifies as Cease-Fire Falls Apart

 Palestinian militants sprang from the ground and confronted Israeli soldiers Friday morning, as they have repeatedly in recent days. This time, Israeli officials said, one exploded a suicide belt while another unleashed machine-gun fire. This time, two Israeli soldiers were killed and the militants apparently escaped with a third.

Hamas’s account was confused. One leader was quoted claiming responsibility for the soldier’s capture, then backtracked. Others contended that the clash unfolded at 7 a.m., before the cease-fire, although Palestinian reports of fighting near Rafah came three hours later. And one said that in any case, the Hamas gunmen acted only to counter “Zionist incursions.”
It’s going to be very hard to put a cease-fire back together again if Israelis and the international community can’t feel confident that Hamas can follow through,” President Obama said on Friday at the White House. He called the killing of civilians in Gaza “heartbreaking” and said, “It’s possible we may be able to arrive at a formula that spares lives and also ensures Israel’s security, but it’s difficult, and I don’t think we should pretend otherwise.”
After an intense predawn battle in the Gaza City neighborhood of Shejaiya on July 20, Hamas announced that it had captured Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul and broadcast his identification number, prompting celebrations across Gaza and the West Bank. Israel later said Sergeant Shaul had been killed in action, but no remains had been recovered.

Right now, decision-making is more tactical by nature, until we have a better feel or clue of what exactly happened to him — is he really in their hands or not,” Mr. Herzog said.

“This complicates everything,” he added. “I don’t think we are in for any more so-called humanitarian cease-fires unless we see on the ground that they are holding their fire.”