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Operation Cast Lead

Day 13 - Thursday 08 January 2009

Several rockets have been fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, as fighting and rocket fire continues in the south and Gaza. In southern Lebanon, U.N. peacekeeping forces Deputy Spokesman Andrea Tenenti, confirmed the firing. "We can confirm that at least three rockets early this morning were fired into Israel from about seven-kilometers east of Naqoura in south Lebanon," he said. The rockets hit in and around the Israeli border town, Nahariya. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, a Palestinian faction, claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, rather than the militant Shiite group Hezbollah, with whom Israel fought a bloody war in 2006. There is no indication that the rocket fire from Lebanon signals the opening up of a second front of fighting for Israel. But that possibility is something that has Israeli officials concerned. A violent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 killed over 1,000 Lebanese and about 160 Israelis.

A Grad rocket hit a school in Ashkelon shortly after noon on Thursday, damaging the gym. Itay, 13, was playing soccer with his friends near the school when the rocket landed. "We were at the yard when we heard the siren. We looked for a place to hide and couldn't find one so we just lay on the ground and heard a strong whistle and an explosion right next to us. We were very scared and one of the kids even started crying." (Ynet) Since the beginning of the IDF operation in Gaza (Dec 27, 2008), four Israelis have been killed and 166 wounded by rocket fire. Over 550 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel.

IDF Ground Forces continued operations throughout the Gaza Strip during the night (Jan. 8), with the support of the IAF. The IAF hit the houses of Yasser Natat, who is responsible for firing rockets from the Rafah area, and of Muhammed Sanuar, commander of the Han-Yonas Brigade of Hamas. The IAF hit about 60 additional targets throughout the night (Jan. 8), among them were more than ten weaponry storage facilities, about 15 launching squads and bunkers from which Hamas fired at IDF forces, and a mosque that served as a weaponry storage facility and meeting point for Hamas operatives.

Captain Roi Rosner, commander of a company in the Kfir Brigade, was killed on Thursday morning (Jan. 8) during operations in the central Gaza Strip; another soldier was lightly wounded. Both their families have been notified. During an operation carried out by the Kfir Brigade in the central Gaza Strip, the soldiers were hit by an anti-tank missile which, as previously mentioned, killed an officer and injured a soldier. The injured soldier was evacuated to hospital for medical treatment. Captain Rosner, 27, from Holon, was promoted posthumously to the rank of Major.

Between 13:00 and 16:00, the IDF implemented for the second successive day a humanitarian recess in offensive activities. This step is in order to enable the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip to replenish stocks and to enable the international organizations to carry out their humanitarian missions. Also this morning, approximately 300 dual nationals were expected to be evacuated via the Erez terminal at the request of the various embassies. The dual nationals were shuttled to Allenby Bridge and make their way to Jordan accompanied by embassy staff. Approximately 100 trucks to be transferred to Gaza via Kerem Shalom, and for the first time as a pilot via Erez. Finally, some 500,000 liters of heavy duty diesel for the Gaza power station were scheduled to be conveyed to Gaza via the Nahal Oz fuel depot.

Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press - 8 Jan 2009 :

• The Jerusalem Post declares that "the assumption among Israeli analysts is that Hamas is eager for a time-out". According to the editor, if a cease fire is indeed in the offing, "Israel needs to be very clear about what it expects from such a temporary cessation of hostilities. It must also adhere to the larger strategy of asphyxiating Hamas in the fullness of time". The editor concludes by stating that "The cabinet must not lose sight of the fact that the goal of this operation was not a cease-fire, but to stop Hamas terror".
• Yediot Aharonot suggests that "There is no doubt that Nasrallah is nervous these days: Hamas is destroying his cobweb theory according to which Israel is a weak country, whose society is spoiled and therefore would not dare to hurt an enemy too much".
• Ma'ariv contends that "Israel now finds itself in a situation in which it must grant recognition, even if not declared, to Palestinian society's fanatical supranational Islamic stream".
• Yisrael Hayom declares that "Acceptance of the establishment of a Hamas state between it and Israel is a type of 'improved tahdiye' would be an historic mistake, which we would pay for with much blood. The world will believe that we have once again failed in the struggle against radical Islam. The Arab world will see that the extremists emerge as winners even if we defeat them in battle".
• Haaretz welcomes the international initiative for a cease-fire in Gaza, stating that it gives politicians leverage to stop the IDF's advance in the dense urban areas of Gaza, and to stop the rocket fire on Israeli communities that led the cabinet to decide on the operation.

Foreign ministers from the United States, Britain, France and the Arab League met separately and together behind closed doors at the United Nations Wednesday, seeking an end to nearly two weeks of deadly fighting in the Gaza Strip. After hours of talks, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters that there "is still work to do" to reach a consensus. The U.S., British and French foreign ministers said they would stay in New York for a third day to lead Western efforts at finding a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas militants.

President-elect Barack Obama says he is concerned about the violence in Gaza, but that it would not be right for him to speak at length about the conflict until he takes office later this month. "We cannot have two administrations running foreign policy at the same time," he said. "We simply can't do it. And so as a consequence, what am I doing is I am being briefed consistently, my national security team is fully up to speed on it. But the situation of domestic policy making and foreign policy making are two different things."