By Andrew L. Jaffee

I hope the family and friends of Israeli soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit can rest a little bit easier. Though he is still missing, and most certainly still held captive by Hamas, the terrorist group is paying a price for Shalit’s unlawful abduction:

Israel has sent tanks and troops in and out of Gaza and stepped up airstrikes against suspected militants and weapons caches since Hamas-linked militants tunneled under the border in late June and attacked an Israeli army post, killing two soldiers and capturing another, Cpl. Gilad Shalit.

On Wednesday morning, Israeli troops killed two Hamas militants as they approached army positions in Rafah, the army and Palestinians said. According to a statement from Hamas, one of the two was a senior militant involved in Shalit’s abduction.