determination." He also expressed regret over the deaths of the Egyptian soldiers and ordered the IDF to conduct a military probe of the incident, and defense officials said it would likely be a joint probe with the participation of the Egyptian military. : Palestinian Authority Chief-negotiator Saeb Erekat stated "Israel stands warned of any possible aggressive action or collective punishment measures against the Palestinian population in Gaza." Erekat stated that the Palestinian Authority is "against violence in all its forms," however, he added that such attacks should not be used by Israel as "a pretext for aggression." Hamas denied responsibility for the attacks but praised the attacks "...since they were against soldiers." Hamas warned Israel not to attack the Gaza Strip, following a statement by Defense Minister Ehud Barak that the IDF would strike back at the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza following a deadly triple terror attack. Hamas evacuated its command centers and sent senior commanders into hiding in anticipation of an IDF response. Popular Resistance Committee (PRC) spokesperson praised the attacks but said his group does not take any responsibility for launching it: "The occupation wants to pin this operation on us in order to escape its own internal problems." Tawheed and Jihad, an al-Qaeda-linked group in the Gaza Strip, praised the attacks and said the "Jewish state should expect more." Over the internet, the group said "We in the Tawheed and Jihad group bless these blessed arms that pounded the fortifications of the vendetta-filled Jewish enemy in the so-called Eilat area in southern occupied Palestine." : The Egyptian foreign ministry stated that "Egypt denounces the use of force against civilians in any circumstance and strongly advises Israel to immediately stop its military operations against Gaza". Supranational – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday strongly condemned the attack but called for restraint. According to a UN statement, "the secretary-general hopes that the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice. He is concerned at the risk of escalation and calls for all to act with restraint." – EU Chief Catherine Ashton condemned the attacks, and said "I have learned with deep concern of the series of terrorist attacks that has taken place in Southern Israel today, including against civilian targets, and in which several Israelis are reported to have lost their lives and many more to have been injured. I condemn unreservedly all such acts of terror, extend my