Operation Cast Lead
Day 10 - Monday 05 January 2009
The Israeli military began on Monday a new stage of its ground operation in Gaza, working to clear the Palestinian region of insurgents and terrorist infrastructure, Israeli media reported. So far, 534 Palestinians have been killed and at least 2,500 injured in the Israeli assault, which became a ground offensive on Saturday after a week of airstrikes. One Israeli soldier has been killed and four civilians died as a result of Palestinian rockets fired in response to the Israeli bombing.
Israeli tanks and troops have pushed deeper into Gaza as part of their military campaign against Hamas. Over 80 Palestinians, including 10 children, have been killed since the start of Israel's ground offensive. Israel's ground operation in Gaza is in full swing. More than 150 Israeli tanks are inside Gaza and Israeli troops are engaged in fierce ground clashes inside the territory. The offensive began after nightfall Saturday, after a week of intense aerial bombardment.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert predicts a long and difficult campaign, but says his country had no choice but to act. According to Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev, the country started the operation in Gaza not because it wanted to. "We entered this operation because we had to," he said. "We were faced with a Hamas regime that tore up the ceasefire, that initiated rocket barrage after rocket barrage against our civilian population in the south and we are forced to act to defend our people."
During Sunday night (Dec. 4), five soldiers and one officer suffered light to moderate injuries during IDF forces' battles with armed terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Many Infantry Corps, Armored Corps, Engineering Corps, Artillery Corps and Intelligence Corps forces continue to operate throughout the Gaza Strip in conjunction with the Israel Air Force (IAF) and the Israel Navy (IN)
During the night, the IAF struck over 30 Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip. Among the targets struck was an underground Hamas bunker around Gaza City; immediately following the strike, the forces identified numerous secondary explosions (indicating weapons stores) and the collapse of connected tunnels. Additional targets the IAF struck were, four Hamas operative houses containing weapons stores, a rocket launching site, Hamas equipment like an anti aircraft automatic weapon, and several smuggling tunnels in the Philadelphi Corridor that were used for smuggling and storing weapons, and enable of the weapon and equipment trade system of the terrorist organization. The forces also hit several Hamas terrorists.
Israeli Navy ships supported the Ground Forces during the operation and hit terrorist targets such as, rocket launching pads aimed at Israel and Hamas naval stations. In addition, IN forces opened fire on to a bunker and a rocket launching site, from which Grad rockets had been fired on to Ashkelon.
On Sunday (Dec. 4), IDF ground forces discovered three missile launching squads and struck dozens of armed terrorists, while the IAF continued to strike dozens of targets, including weapon storehouses, a vehicle carrying a rocket launching pad, smuggling tunnels, motor vehicles, Hamas operational centers and weapon manufacturing sites.
During a gun-battle on Sunday, Staff Sergeant Dvir Immanuell, 22, from Giv'at Ze'ev, was killed. His funeral was held on Sunday January 4, at 23:00 at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl.
Late Monday evening, three Golani Brigade combat soldiers were killed while fighting in northern Gaza when an IDF artillery shell fired erroneously and hit the structure where the soldiers were located. Another soldier was critically wounded, three others were severely wounded and 20 other soldiers were lightly to moderately injured in the incident. The injured soldiers received initial medical treatment in the field before being evacuated by helicopter and vehicles to hospitals in Israel. Heavy IDF artillery fire provided cover for the evacuation. The bereaved families were notified. The Golani Brigade Commander, Colonel Avi Peled, who sustained light injuries in the incident, oversaw the evacuation in the field and directed the artillery and aerial cover via communication systems. Only after all the injured soldiers were evacuated did the brigade commander seek medical attention for himself.
The European Union has started diplomatic efforts to bring about a ceasefire. Its delegation, headed by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, met with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh. The EU is pressing for a ceasefire and has promised three million Euros in food and medical aid to Gaza. EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana also discussed at the meeting the willingness of the EU to re-deploy monitors at the border crossing between Egypt and Rafah. "We have already been engaged on the ground in Rafah in the past, we are ready to return, and the Egyptians know that. And we will be, as soon as a ceasefire is obtained. We will be back here cooperating in a very constructive manner," said Solana.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday, with both leaders stressing the need for an immediate ceasefire, the Kremlin said. Abbas, who initiated the telephone conversation, thanked Medvedev for the humanitarian aid Russia has delivered so far, and the Russian president vowed that the assistance would continue. Medvedev ordered on Monday Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shojgu to urgently work on getting more humanitarian aid to Palestinians, the press service said.
The Bush administration said it is pushing for a Gaza agreement that will end Hamas rocket fire into Israel, arms smuggling through tunnels from Egypt, and re-open Gaza crossing points for relief supplies and commerce. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - who canceled foreign travel plans - is leading U.S. diplomatic efforts. Officials here said that while the United States supports an end to the fighting as soon as possible, it also wants a cease-fire arrangement that will be more durable than its failed predecessor and deal with the core problems of Gaza.
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