Islamic Jihad terrorists killed an Israeli settler today in the Gaza Strip and injured three Israeli soldiers in the first terrorist attack on Israelis since Sunday's election of Mahmoud Abbas as the new president of the Palestinian Authority. According to reports, three terrorists cut through a security fence surrounding a Jewish settlement in order to carry out the attack. One terrorist was killed when soldiers returned fire.

Abu Abdallah, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad, said this was a direct challenge to Abbas's claims that the 'armed struggle' be discarded in favor of negotiations with Israel. 'Our heroic attack today responds to those who describe such attacks as the smaller jihad that must end,' he said. 'It will never end until Palestine is returned, through the barrel of our guns.'

Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Hezbollah are all dedicated to destroying Israel and deny the Jewish state's right to exist. Israel has already announced that it plans to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and dismantle all settlements there in 2005. The terrorist attacks are designed for groups like Islamic Jihad to be able to claim they are resonsible for the Israeli withdrawal.

An aid to Abbas claimed the attack showed the importance resuming negotiations. 'What happened in Gaza and the West Bank today underlines the urgency of reaching a mutual cease-fire to pave the way back to the negotiating table to follow the road map,' said Nabil Abu Rdainah.

Abbas now faces the challenge of reigning in terrorist groups that wish to groups that want to disrupt the peace process. He has already indicated he would not take on rejectionist groups with arms and would try to offer them a share of power through negotiations. Abbas has a quandry. If he cracks down on militant groups too hard, he faces a loss of credibility among Palestinians who will claim he is a stooge to Israel and the United States. However, if he allows terrorist groups to operate with impunity from Palestinian Authority territory, he runs the risk of alienating the Israeli public and the United States who will not see him as a true partner for peace.