Operation Cast Lead
Day 15 - Saturday 10 January 2009
It's now two weeks since Israel launched its offensive to stop militant rocket attacks. Hamas rockets rained down on southern Israel while Israeli jets conducted multiple air strikes in Gaza. Resistance fighters launched more than 20 projectiles aimed at Zionist targets during the day. According to Zionist sources, at least 646 projectiles have been launched since the invasion began on 27 December.
On Saturday afternoon (Jan. 10), the IDF killed Amir Mansi, the commander of the Hamas rocket launching program in the Gaza City area who operated as artillery officer in the Gaza Brigade. During an operation in Jabel Rise, IDF forces identified Mansi launching rockets. The forces opened fire at Mansi and, as mentioned before, killed him and injured two Hamas operatives working closely with him. In addition to his involvement in the Gaza Brigade, Mansi was also the leading Hamas authority on the long range Grad missile launching program. In the course of his activities, Mansi directed and actively fired dozens of rockets at Israel, killing and injuring numerous Israeli civilians.
In addition to that, IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip during Friday night (Jan. 8) reported that 15 Hamas terror operatives were killed during various battles. Several mortar shells were fired at Givati Brigade forces operating in the Gaza Strip. The Infantry Corps soldiers identified the source of the gunfire and responded with mortar shell fire and aided IAF forces in striking of the terror cell. In another incident, snipers fired at Paratrooper Brigade forces. The forces identified the origin of the sniper fire and responded with directly hitting the terrorists. Over the course of the night, five soldiers were lightly wounded during several clashes with Hamas terror operatives in the Gaza Strip.
Aerial strikes continued throughout the night. Approximately 40 targets were struck. The targets include ten rocket launching sites, some of which were used to firing rockets at IDF forces; one anti-aircraft missile cannon, 14 weapons manufacturing and storage facilities, and five weapons smuggling tunnels.
Hamas and Israel have rejected a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Both sides continued their attacks on Friday. Israel says the UN ceasefire resolution "is not practical" as Hamas continues rocket attacks on its territory. Officials in Tel-Aviv have once again underlined that the military operation in Gaza will not stop until all its objectives are complete. "Responsibility for the current hostilities lies squarely with Hamas. The international community must focus its attention on the cessation of Hamas' terrorist activity and make clear that a terrorist organisation can never be a legitimate leadership," said Gabriela Shalev, Israeli Ambassador to the UN.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Saturday, declaring afterwards that the Egyptian peace plan is the key to a solution in Gaza. He is also calling for the deployment of international peacekeeping forces inside Gaza. Leaders of the militant Hamas group have repeatedly called the U.N. cease-fire resolution "unacceptable," but have sent a delegation to Cairo, Saturday, including Ayman Taha and Jamal Abu Hashem, to discuss their reservations with top Egyptian mediator, General Omar Suleiman. Mohammed Nazzal, who is the Hamas representative to Jordan, said from Damascus that his group has a number of qualms with the Egyptian peace plan that it will discuss with Egyptian officials, Saturday.
Above all, Nazzal says Hamas wants to put an end to Israel's aggression and Hamas wants Israel to withdraw from Gaza. Mussa Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of Hamas' politburo, said from Damascus, Friday, that his group would "not accept any proposal that does not call for an end to the [Israeli] blockade and the opening of border crossings." Another key stumbling block to negotiations, appears to be an Israeli demand that a U.S. military team patrol the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza to put an end to the smuggling of arms through tunnels under the border. Egypt "opposes the stationing of U.S. forces along its border because that would be an affront to its national sovereignty."
Syrian-based Palestinian militant groups including Hamas rejected the deployment of international troops or observers in the Gaza Strip. The groups also turned down security arrangements that in their words "undermine the resistance against Israel." They outlined their position in a statement issued after a meeting Saturday in the Syrian capital, Damascus. The statement came after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Hamas, which controls Gaza, to accept an Egyptian ceasefire deal. Mr. Abbas called the Egyptian plan the "only mechanism" that can end the fighting in Gaza.
According to Palestinian health authorities, the Israeli operation that started on December 27 has so far killed over 800 people in Gaza [and they estimate about half of these are civilians], while another 3,310 people were wounded. Israel's casualties are estimated at 13 people, including 10 servicemen.
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