Operation Cast Lead
Day 6 - Thursday 01 January 2009
The new year began with the sixth day of Israeli air strikes in Gaza and with Hamas rockets hitting southern Israel. Gaza officials put the Palestinian death toll at around 400. The new year began in Gaza with the sound of explosions. Over 20 targets were struck by IAF forces since Thursday morning. The targets include weapons storage facilities, rocket launching sites, Hamas terror operatives, and smuggling tunnels used by Hamas. IAF forces struck the house of Nabil Amrin, a senior Hamas terror operative, in Sheih Radwan - Gaza Strip. Amrin is a senior military terror operative and is Battalion Commander for the Hamas military branch. The house contained large stores of weapons and ammunition. Large secondary explosions were occurred following the air strike. These secondary explosions indicate the presence weapons stores.
On January 1, in a joint operation between the IDF and the ISA, the IAF struck a mosque in Jabaliya that was used as a terror hub by Hamas. The mosque was used as a storage site for a large amount of Grad missiles and additional weaponry used to fire at Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip. The strike set off a lengthy series of secondary explosions and caused a large fire, due to the munitions stockpiled in the mosque. The mosque was also used as an operational center for Hamas, as a meeting place for its operatives, and a staging ground for terror attacks.
Based on intelligence information that was gathered by IDF and ISA forces, a number of Hamas targets were struck Thursday morning by IAF forces. The targets include the house of Muhamad Fuad Barhud, (a senior terror operative in the Popular Resistance Committees) in Jabaliya. Barhud is responsible a many Grad and Qassam rocket, and mortar shell attacks perpetrated against Israel from northern Gaza Strip. These terrorist activities are funded and supported by Hamas. Along with other locations, Barhud's house was used as a storage facility for various weapons including anti-tank missiles, rockets, and explosive devices that are used by both Popular Resistance Committees and Hamas.
The house of another terror operative, Hasin Drairy, was also attacked in the Sabra - northern Gaza Strip. This house was used as a storage facility for rockets and mortar shells, and the house was used as a lathe for rocket manufacturing. In addition IAF forces struck, a weapon storage facility located in the house of Taufik Abu Ras. Abu Ras is a Hamas terror operative from A-Nusseirat. This house is also a weapons' manufacturing laboratory and a storage site of a wide variety of weaponry, including rockets and explosive devices.
Thursday afternoon, in a joint IDF and ISA operation, IAF forces struck the house of the senior Hamas operative Nizar Rayan, in Jabaliya - northern Gaza Strip. Many secondary explosions also occurred following the strike, indicating weapons stores in the house. The house was used as massive weapons storage facility, as well as a military communications center. Located underneath the house was an escape tunnel for terror operatives of Hamas's military branch. Israel airstrikes killed Nizar Ravyan, along with at least nine family members, Hamas said. Ravyan was an outspoken conservative who called for suicide attacks against Israel. Earlier Palestinian health officials said the death toll in the six-day air offensive launched on Gaza by the Jewish state on Saturday had risen to 403 Palestinians, and more than 2,000 people were injured.
The UN Security Council has met to discuss the violence in Gaza, but failed to agree on a cease-fire resolution. Arab countries pushed for a resolution to demand an immediate cease-fire. At the beginning of the meeting UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon accused Israel of disproportionate use of force against Palestinians and called for an immediate ceasefire. The delegation of Arab states is calling for a resolution condemning Israel's actions in Gaza and asked that it halt all military action.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told reporters in France that Israel will not agree to an immediate halt of its attacks on Gaza. She spoke following meetings with French officials. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told reporters that Israel would only decide whether or not to halt its offensive on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip based on a daily assessment of the situation. A number of country's have called for Israel to accept a ceasefire, but Livni said any truce would be a pretext for the militant Palestinian group to rearm.
A new poll shows that more than half of Israelis support continuing Israel's air assault against militant targets in the Gaza Strip. According to the Haaretz-Dialog poll released Thursday, 52 percent of respondents favor continuing the air campaign. Nineteen percent say the Israeli army should send in troops on the ground. Another 19 percent of Israelis say the government should negotiate an immediate cease-fire. The poll also shows that Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and his Labor Party have made the biggest gains in public opinion.
Militants again fired rockets into Israel, one hitting a multi-story residential building in the city of Ashdod, more than 30 kilometers north of the Gaza Strip.
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