Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

IDF operating under 'no restrictions'
Jerusalem Post ^ | Sept. 25, 2005

Posted on 09/25/2005 5:57:29 PM PDT by Alouette

Only 24 hours after the last Kassam fell on their town, residents of Sderot and the western Negev were once again on full alert following the targeted assassination of Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza on Sunday night.

An IAF Apache helicopter flying over Gaza fired a missile and struck a vehicle traveling on the coastal road and carrying the Palestinian terrorists. According to witnesses, one of the victims was decapitated and one was wearing military fatigues.

Military sources said the targeted terrorist was Sheikh Muhammad Khalil, a senior commander of Islamic Jihad in the southern Gaza Strip who was responsible for planning a slew of attacks on Israelis including the murder of Tali Hatuel, who was pregnant, and her four young daughters on the Kissufim road in Gush Katif. He was also behind the attack on the Morag outpost that killed three soldiers and the detonation of an IDF armored vehicle that killed five.

Khalil's bodyguard was also killed in the attack.

Vowing to do anything short of striking Palestinian civilians, Israel's leaders gave the IDF a green light to install a new set of rules aimed at halting Kassam rocket attacks.

While 155mm self-propelled howitzers fired practice rounds into the Gaza Strip, the army has so far refrained from firing them at live targets, using them instead as a visual deterrent against more rocket attacks. Reports from Gaza said that residents scattered in panic as low-flying IAF fighter jets broke the sound barrier.

Security forces are expected to continue with their sweep of fugitives and suspected terrorists across the West Bank. Before dawn Sunday, security forces rounded up 207 wanted Palestinians. These included senior Hamas officials Sheikh Hassan Youssef, Sheikh Fathi al-Karawi and Muhammad Ghazal.

The arrests were widespread, including 70 in the Nablus area and 61 in the Hebron region. Weapons were confiscated, and during some of the arrests there were exchanges of gunfire. There were no IDF casualties.

The offensive, dubbed Operation First Rain, is focusing on cells that fired the Kassam rockets. As of press time, no further rockets had been fired on Sunday, though AP reported Palestinian terrorists fired a mortar shell from Gaza into Israeli territory.

Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar announced Sunday a halt to Kassam attacks, saying that the decision was in the interest of preserving "the atmosphere of celebrations at the defeat of the occupation." Islamic Jihad, in the meantime, declared after the death of Khalil that it would abandon adherence to the cease-fire in effect since February. "There is no talk of a truce, there is only room for talk of war," said Mohammed al-Hindi, head of Islamic Jihad in Gaza and the West Bank.

Speaking to the cabinet earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz warned that the IDF would engage in sustained action and spare no means in redoubling its efforts to bring an end to the Kassam attacks on the western Negev.

"There are no restrictions on the use of any measures in order to strike at the terrorists, their equipment and where they find shelter," Sharon said at the opening of Sunday's cabinet meeting. "The instructions are unequivocal; we do not mean a one-time action here."

The rocket attacks on Sderot "must be stopped," said Sharon. "It cannot continue under any circumstances."

Sharon said that the IDF actions of the last 24 hours were not "a short-term action, but a policy that must lead to the cessation of the terrorist organizations' actions against Israeli communities. I am certain that it is within our ability to halt the terrorist organizations' actions against us. The activity will not only be in Gaza but will also be against terrorism in Judea and Samaria."

He said the only limitation on the IDF was its "regular objective" of "not hitting civilians."

Mofaz told cabinet ministers that he directed the IDF to implement a deterrence policy that "will extract a price tag for attacks on Israeli citizens." He warned that the IDF would carry out a series of continuous actions "in the air and on the ground" against Hamas and Islamic Jihad, including targeted assassinations against all levels of the organizations. He said that messages were passed through American and Egyptian intermediaries warning Palestinian civilians not to enter fields from where Kassam rockets had been launched because those areas would come under Israeli attack.

The defense minister said he gave the IDF the green light to use all means at the IDF's disposal, including artillery fire, to create a buffer zone in areas such as the northern Gaza Strip from where the Kassam rockets were fired.

Meanwhile Sunday, police kept up their level of high alert across the country out of fear Palestinian terror groups would renew suicide bombings in Israeli cities following the violent events over the weekend.

Police Insp.-Gen. Moshe Karadi held consultations with the senior police brass on Saturday and ordered police to beef up their presence along the seam line with the West Bank and around Jerusalem to prevent Palestinian infiltrations.

The police chief further ordered district commanders to deploy extra forces to assist in securing major entertainment spots across the country.

With the security fence mostly complete around the West Bank, police noted Sunday that most of their work would be in the area surrounding the southern Hebron hills and around Jerusalem. Police set up roadblocks in the south and combed the nearby fields for Palestinians who had illegally entered Israel.

Southern District Police added more forces to carry out patrols throughout the Negev on Sunday and coordinated their work with Magen David Adom, the fire department and the IDF. While it is the IDF's job to prevent the firing of Kassam rockets, police are responsible for defusing them once they land and evacuating wounded to hospitals.

On Sunday morning, two Palestinian youths arrived at a checkpoint near the Hawara crossing. One of the youths was found to be carrying an improvised pistol with a matching ammunition clip and a pipe apparently meant to be used in the construction of an explosive device. The weaponry was detonated by Border Police sappers in a controlled manner. The two were taken in for questioning by security forces.

It was the fourth attempt since the beginning of September to smuggle weaponry through the checkpoint.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: gaza; greenlight; hamas
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

1 posted on 09/25/2005 5:57:41 PM PDT by Alouette
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 1st-P-In-The-Pod; A Jovial Cad; A_Conservative_in_Cambridge; adam_az; af_vet_rr; agrace; ahayes; ...
FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel/Russian Jewry ping list.

Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.

2 posted on 09/25/2005 5:58:28 PM PDT by Alouette (Militant Neocon Pundit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

"An IAF Apache helicopter flying over Gaza fired a missile and struck a vehicle traveling on the coastal road and carrying the Palestinian terrorists. According to witnesses, one of the victims was decapitated and one was wearing military fatigues"

So the missile decapitated one and put military fatigues on the other??? (I know what they mean, it's just a strange sentence.)


3 posted on 09/25/2005 6:04:22 PM PDT by flashbunny (Do you believe in the Constitution only until it keeps the government from doing what you want?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

The moron palestinians keep starting fights then whine when they get their butts whipped. Are they just too effin' stupid to learn anything at all?


4 posted on 09/25/2005 6:13:01 PM PDT by Emmett McCarthy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: flashbunny

So the missile decapitated one and put military fatigues on the other??? (I know what they mean, it's just a strange sentence.)


That is one AWESOME missile!


5 posted on 09/25/2005 6:13:18 PM PDT by LoudRepublicangirl (loudrepublicangirl)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Alouette
IDF operating under 'no restrictions'

Good. It's about time the terrorist-sympathizing Palestinians got a big can of Whoopass cracked open on their idiot heads.

6 posted on 09/25/2005 6:20:30 PM PDT by Prime Choice (E=mc^3. Don't drink and derive.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LoudRepublicangirl
put military fatigues on the other???

An Israeli "smart missile" can detect if a terrorist is wearing "civilian" clothes and will garb the target in the proper attire.


7 posted on 09/25/2005 6:23:21 PM PDT by Alouette (Militant Neocon Pundit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

No wonder they are the "chosen" people. They are the "smarter" people as well.


8 posted on 09/25/2005 6:26:48 PM PDT by LoudRepublicangirl (loudrepublicangirl)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Emmett McCarthy
The moron palestinians keep starting fights then whine when they get their butts whipped. Are they just too effin' stupid to learn anything at all?

Why would they stop when the keep getting rewarded for their actions? It's just a matter of time before they're given the West Bank.
9 posted on 09/25/2005 6:35:17 PM PDT by Tailback (USAF distinguished rifleman badge #300, German Schutzenschnur in Gold)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Prime Choice

"What is best in life?" To crush the jihadists, to drive their minions before you, and to hear the lamentations of their mullahs! Allahu fubar!


10 posted on 09/25/2005 7:07:25 PM PDT by sheik yerbouty ( Make America and the world a jihad free zone!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Tailback

Or America stops the jooooos from being so mean to them.


11 posted on 09/25/2005 7:10:59 PM PDT by Let's Roll ( "Congressmen who ... undermine the military ... should be arrested, exiled or hanged" - A. Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Prime Choice

Everyone who supported a Palestianian state looks like a real fool. Money will not soothe the heathen beasts.


12 posted on 09/25/2005 7:43:55 PM PDT by tessalu
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: LoudRepublicangirl
The filthy pigs who were involved in the murder of the pregnant woman and her children deserved to be skinned alive.It's acts like these that fuel my hate for the vile and disgusting Palestinians.I hope that Israel takes the gloves off and keeps them off while they crush the spine of every last one of them.
13 posted on 09/25/2005 7:50:51 PM PDT by rdcorso (Shut Up Cindy Sheehan! Nobody Wants To Hear A Filthy Pig Squeal!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Alouette
KATZ: HOW ARE YOU GENTLEMEN!!
KATZ: ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US.
KATZ: DESTRUCTION ARE ON THE WAY TO YOU.
KATZ: YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE MAKE YOUR TIME.
KATZ: HA HA HA HA....
14 posted on 09/25/2005 7:53:22 PM PDT by RichInOC ("The coffee is strong at Cafe du Monde, the doughnuts are too hot to touch..." Save the Big Greasy!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RichInOC

Yeah, keep smilin', bitch, you're next.


15 posted on 09/25/2005 8:02:17 PM PDT by Alouette (Militant Neocon Pundit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

So many green targets

16 posted on 09/25/2005 8:33:12 PM PDT by M. Espinola (Freedom is never free)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

Why on earth did Sharon listen to Bush and Rice?

If they are his gods you are all in trouble.


17 posted on 09/25/2005 8:48:18 PM PDT by Spirited
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette
I was among those that opposed the Gaza pullout, so I suggest that Israel just drop a dozen MOABs on the Gaza in reprisal for the next terrorist attacks which we all know is inevitable.
18 posted on 09/25/2005 9:00:21 PM PDT by prophetic ("I think you can be an honest person and lie about any number of things."--Dan Rather)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

IAF Apache

19 posted on 09/25/2005 10:21:41 PM PDT by Daaave ( "Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Daaave; All

Thanks for posting I hear of those helicopters I never seen IDF version of it they look very cool indeed


20 posted on 09/25/2005 10:23:20 PM PDT by SevenofNine ("Not everybody in, it, for truth, justice, and the American way,"= Det Lennie Briscoe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson