Was the IDF warning them of an imminent bombing campaign? Did it threaten them with shutting down imports and exports?
No, not quite. The "threatening messages" were nothing of the sort:
Dozens of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip received voice messages on their telephones from the Israeli army telling them not to go near any Hamas sites.How do the terror organizations respond? Why, by trying to get Gazans to support tunnels to kidnap Israelis!
Mohammad Yousef, a resident of Gaza, said that he received a voice message from someone who identified themselves as being a member of the Israeli armed forces, warning him not to go near any Hamas sites.
The voice message said, "Hamas is digging terrorist tunnels instead of working on development and building hospitals and schools to serve the needs of its citizens. You should avoid such acts and report them to ensure your safety."
Palestine Today has a long feature interview with the mother of one of the terrorists who were killed during the Gilad Shalit kidnapping, and she says how much she longs for more such kidnappings so that terrorists in Israeli prison will be sent home.
Hamas itself admitted that it built the tunnels for kidnapping and Ismail Haniyeh said in his speech Saturday that such operations to free prisoners were a top priority for Hamas.
These competing messages provide an interesting contrast. Israel is assuming that Gazans are normal people who want to live their lives in dignity. Hamas and Islamic Jihad assume that Gazans are bloodthirsty terror supporters. Each is acting accordingly.
Which group is racist in their opinions of Gazans?
Of course, you don't have to be Gazan to automatically support Hamas building tunnels....