Posted on 01/03/2009 2:47:40 PM PST by An Old Man
The Israeli military said in a statement that the objective of the ground campaign was “to destroy the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas,” the militant Islamic group that controls the area, “while taking control of some of the rocket launching sites” that Hamas uses to fire at southern Israel
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
GAZA CITY (AFP) — Israeli tanks rolled into Gaza late Saturday and troops clashed with Hamas fighters in a step-up to an eight-day offensive that has killed hundreds of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction.
A burning fuel depot lit up the night sky soon after tanks and troops crossed the border and the air force carried out more raids in the biggest Israeli military operation since its 2006 war in Lebanon.
Dozens of Hamas fighters were killed in the initial battles, an Israeli military spokesman said. The Islamist group said on its television station that Israeli soldiers had also been killed and vowed to turned Gaza in a "cemetery" for the invading force.
The claims could not be immediately confirmed.
The Israeli government called up thousands of reservists to join the ground offensive aimed at ending rocket and mortar attacks by Hamas and its militant allies from the enclave sandwiched between Israel and Egypt.
Israeli tanks were reported to be in battles around Gaza City, and the northern towns of Beit Lahiya and Jabaliya. Hamas forces fired back with mortars and rockets, witnesses said.
Gaza emergency services said one child was killed and 11 other children were wounded in one tank attack.
"Large numbers of forces are taking part in this stage of the operation including infantry, tanks, engineering forces, artillery and intelligence," a military spokesman said.
The military said a 20-nautical-mile naval blockade would be enforced along the coast.
In a statement, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said the army would take over sites in Gaza used to fired rockets at Israel and vowed to deal a "hard blow" at the Islamists.
"It will not be easy or short but we are determined," Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said.
Good! I hope they do it all this time. World opinion be damned. Like the US, Israel tries to wage war ina humane fashion, yet they are constantly criticized by the media.
May God be with the Israelis.
Israel should (somehow) strike Damascus and send a message like Gen. Doolittle did to Japan with his small bomber fleet from a carrier. That would sure shake up the coward who thinks he can hide in Syria away from the action.
does anyone know what the seeming ‘exploding flares’ ordnance
is in the film footage ? Sort of like Willy Peter descending
at a certain point above the ground in a burst. I think , not flares .
perhaps Mossad has retired after a series of less than effective operations ?
Not bloody likely.
It is chemical smokescreens. Blocks the vision of thr terrorists while the IDF moves in.
sure?
Yep. Very effective.
“Gaza emergency services said one child was killed and 11 other children were wounded in one tank attack.”
If true (which it usually isn’t), my response would be, “Well. stop hiding behind them, cowards!”
Go Israel!
great , thanks for the info
It most likely is the same White phosphorus that was used most often during World War II in military formulations for smoke screens, marker shells, incendiaries, hand grenades, smoke markers, colored flares, and tracer bullets.
Anyone know what the story is with those funky ‘chef’s hat’ helmet covers the Israeli soldiers use?
Yeah, that’s it. So what’s its use? Give a shooter a confusing target?
Is it just me, or does the Reuters reporter pronounce Hamas as (HAM-ASS) (equal emphasis on both syllables, and the ‘a’ pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘and’)?
Seems like the MSM here pronounces it (hah-MAHSS) (major emphasis on the second syllable, and the ‘a’ as in ‘ah’).
Just askin’...
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