Hamas claimed yesterday that Israel’s decision to hold early elections was proof that Hamas defeated Israel this past summer in Operation Protective Edge, according to Khaled Abu Toameh.

The Palestinian Authority last held elections in 2005, and have chosen to not hold elections since then.

Hamas violently took over Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, despite Hamas’s strong showing in the 2005 elections.

After all, they believe elections are for losers.

The IDF has confirmed to JewishPress.com that Hamas test fired yet another rocket into the sea, on Monday afternoon.

The rocket was launched from the ruins of the Jewish town of Netzarim, in northern Gaza.

Hamas snipers fired from Gaza at an IDF routine patrol operating along the security fence early afternoon on Thursday.

No injuries were reported, and the vehicle was damaged.

The IDF responded with an artillery shell aimed at the source of fire.

The capture of a Hamas terrorist network with tentacles in Turkey, Jordan and Syria is only one of several counter-terrorist maneuvers that still remain secret, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Thursday.

Speaking at the ceremony to rededicate David Ben-Gurion’s hut at Sde Boker in the Negev, the Prime Minister commended the Shin Bet and IDF “for foiling very dangerous terrorist actions that could have claimed many victims in our country.”

He noted that although the gag order on the two-month-old arrests was lifted, “there are many actions that remain secret, counter-terrorist actions against Hamas, which challenges the existence of the Jewish nation-state and, in effect, challenges the existence of Jews in general.”

“We are operating day and night in order to maintain the security of Israel’s citizens; the people who do this are deserving of all praise and support,” he added.

The terrorist network planned to target Jews outside the country as well in Israel.

The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) revealed Thursday it has exposed a huge terrorist network that was aided by terrorists and commanders operating from Jordan, Syria and Turkey as well as within Judea and Samaria.

One of their targets was Jerusalem’s Teddy stadium, home of the Betar soccer team.

They also were planned to use a car bomb and had drawn up plans for a mass casually attack on the Jerusalem light rail system, coordinated roadside bombs and shooting attacks with M-16 semi-automatic rifles, and infiltrations, murders and kidnappings in Jewish communities throughout Judea and Samaria.

The gag order on the arrests of more than 30 terrorists two months ago was lifted today. A large quantity of weapons and ammunition also were found.

At least two of those arrested are Jordanians who previously were soldiers for the kingdom, drafted by Hamas in 2010 and sent to Turkey and Gaza for training, entering the Hamas territory through smuggling tunnels from Egypt.

The command post from Turkey further shows how Hamas has been provided a deadly safe haven by Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The cells had carried out two explosions in Samaria last August, but no one was injured. The terrorists set off the bombs using a timer so that the explosions would occur when security forces were on the scene. One of the bombs went off at the Rehalim junction.

The explosions were carried out under instructions from Hamas commanders in Gaza, Jordan, Syria and Turkey. Investigations by the IDF and Shin Bet helped them track down the extensive terrorist network.

Among those arrested were two from Jordan, Manaf Mohammed Angvera, 28; and Abdallah Mahmoud Zitawi, 25, Jordan;

Kuwait native Mahmoud Airbajie, 25, who learned in Jordan; two Arabs from Tulkarem, east of Netanya, Rjyie Ahmed Amuri, 30; Adnan Samara, 30; Mutzav Ruwib, 23, from Bethlehem; and Tzuhiv Rabat, 29, from the Jordan Valley.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accidentally showed his dangerous side to Israel.

A few days ago, during his trip to Italy, al-Sisi voiced a radical proposition that showed more of his cards than he probably planned to show off.

He proposed that Egypt could deploy Egyptian military troops into Judea and Samaria, to “temporarily” monitor and act as a guarantor for the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Egypt has been increasing its troop deployments along the Gaza border, usually in coordination with Israel, in order to fight Muslim Brotherhood/Hamas terrorists who are attacking Egypt. That sounds fair enough, despite the treaty violations.

But his recent proposal shows us that al-Sisi has far bigger visions as to how far he wants to really extend and expand his military might, all the way onto a second Israeli front.

No one in Israel will consider this a serious proposal, but it does give us insight into al-Sisi’s long term thinking, and the next time al-Sisi asks Israel to ignore the Camp David Peace Treaty and let Egypt insert more troops into the Sinai along Israel’s border, Israel should keep in mind that al-Sisi has bigger dreams, and more Egyptian troops along the Israeli southern border is just one them.

Israel soldiers shot at two Gaza Arabs who refused to heed orders to halt when they approached the security fence, and Hamas sources claimed one of the men was killed, the first reported death in security incidents since the end of the last round of Hamas-led attacks on Israel in August.

Military spokesmen said the soldiers shot at the legs of the Arabs, but Hamas reported that 32-year-old Faid Mohammed Halawah was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza.

The IDF said that the Arabs refused to comply” and “fired at the lower extremities, confirming one hit.”

An Israel leader of a regional council in the Gaza Belt area said there have been 12 attempts this month of Gaza Arabs trying to infiltrate into Israel.

And exactly what was the explanation this time for men walking in a clearly posted and widely known prohibited area?

This time they were not trying to collect scrap metal

They were not playing soccer.

They were not mentally retarded, as Hamas often claims, without referring to the Hamas leadership.

No, this time, according to relatives of Halawah who was quoted by the Bethlehem-based Ma’an News Agency, they were searching for “song birds,” which command a high price in Gaza.