Operation Cast Lead
Day 17 - Monday 12 January 2009
Since this morning (Jan.12), IDF forces-- including infantry forces, tanks, combat engineers, artillery forces, and intelligence forces-- continued to operate against the Hamas terrorist infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip. Israel's attacks on Gaza appeared to be less intense, with military officials saying they carried out fewer than 20 bombings - compared to as many as 40 per night during the past few days.
Ground forces were involved in a number of incidents in which several armed gunmen were hit. A squad of terror operatives opened fire at ground forces from a mosque. The forces directed aerial forces that attacked the squad, and then forces proceeded to search the mosque, uncovering Qassam rockets and mortar shells. In a separate incident, forces identified a number of armed gunmen and opened fire at them. The force later searched the area and uncovered a large amount of weaponry including anti-aircraft missiles, mortar shells and machine guns. In addition, forces uncovered a tunnel and destroyed it while searching a house in the northern Gaza Strip. Additionally, forces identified a terror operative planting an explosive device and opened fire at him.
Israeli ground forces are approaching Gaza City from all directions, with tanks located to the east of Gaza, in Hey Al-Tuffah, and in the Al-Zeitoon region. It's reported they are slowly advancing towards Gaza City. From the north-west, Israeli tanks are approaching slowly, with artillery and troops paving the way. Tanks movement has also been seen to the south of Gaza City in the region between the Nitsareen settlement and the Talulhawa region. These movements refer to a siege of the Gaza Strip that might limit Israeli casualties. Nevertheless the Palestinian factions are fighting back and there's been no let up in the rocket attacks on southern Israel.
The army has not yet pushed deep into the built-up areas, which is something the government is threatening to do if a ceasefire agreement is not quickly arrived at. This stage would involve extensive house-to-house fighting and would almost certainly result in heavy casualties on both sides. Israeli officials say that if this stage is embarked upon, the army will remain in Gaza "weeks, if not longer". Thousands of reservists mobilised early in the week have been refreshing their training in urban combat in a large army base near Gaza. They would reinforce the troops presently at the front if the fighting escalates.
Israeli soldiers penetrating the edge of Gaza City have encountered hundreds of booby traps and a warren of tunnels, which enable Hamas fighters to move from one house to another unseen. Officers interviewed by the Israeli media say the guerillas have been emerging from tunnels to fire at close range, then pulling back in an effort to lure the Israelis deeper into the built-up area. In one case, a Palestinian, dressed in an Israeli army uniform, opened fire on a group of soldiers. He was killed before he could cause any casualties. There have been several instances, according to officers, of would-be suicide bombers with explosive vests running towards soldiers. All were cut down. The troops have also been alerted to the possibility of female suicide bombers.
Israeli troops have clashed with Palestinian gunmen in the suburbs of Gaza City in one of the fiercest ground battles so far. Hamas says the Israelis were ambushed but there's been no confirmation from Israel's forces. The densely populated Sheikh AJ-leen neighbourhood, which is home to more than 400 thousand residents, suffered major destruction and at least 14 people were killed. According to Saed Suerki of RT's Arabic service - one of the few journalists inside Gaza - the latest Israeli air raid took place in Rafah city in the south of the Gaza Strip. During the attack various houses and institutions not belonging to security forces or to Hamas were destroyed, including an orphanage and the Al-Fadheela mosque.
Meanwhile, Israel is still sending warning messages through Al-Aqsa channel trying to psychologically influence the citizens of Gaza.
The IAF attacked over 25 targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including the following:
- Eight squads of armed gunmen
- Two mortar launchers
- Four launching areas
- Three buildings utilized by terror operatives
- Two vehicles in which Hamas terror operatives were driving
- Additional targets hit in order to assist ground forces
A total of 165 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid are now being transferred to the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings.
Over the course of the day, IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip hit over 40 armed Hamas operatives. Armored Corps forces struck various weapons storage facilities, some of them located in the houses of terror operatives. In one case, a tank squad identified a group of operatives planting an explosive device, fired and confirmed hitting them. During searches, Paratrooper Brigade forces uncovered weaponry, camouflage uniforms and communications equipment.
On Sunday morning, IAF forces struck several rocket launching sites, including the launcher used to attack Be'er Sheva this the morning. Ground forces clashed with terror operatives in various incidents during the day. In several incidents, ground forces directed the Air Force in targeting armed operatives that were firing at them. The IAF targeted more than 20 smuggling tunnels along the Philadephi Corridor, in the Rafah border; approximately 15 armed terror operative cells, and seven weapons production and storage facilities.
Gaza militants fired at least four rockets, one of which hit a house in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon.
Israeli has not achieved the goals it set for itself during its ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement said on Monday. "The Israeli Army is no longer in any condition to achieve its goals," Ramadan Shalah was quoted as saying by the Palestinian news agency Maan. He also claimed that the Israeli military command was "now thinking of how to leave Gaza without admitting defeat." Shalah also said that concluding a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza would be possible only after three conditions were met: "a halt to Israel's aggression, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the removal of blockades from the enclave."
The 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council strongly condemns Israel for its military operation in Gaza and for what it said was gravely violating the human rights of the Palestinians. The resolution also calls for an independent fact-finding mission to investigate all violations of international human rights law. The resolution was drafted by Arab, Asian and African countries. It passed by a vote of 33 in favor, one against and 13 abstentions. The sole dissenting vote was cast by Canada, which complained that the text was unbalanced.
According to Al Jazeera TV, a Qatar based news channel, the death toll among Palestinians has reached 905. Palestinian officials say around half of them are civilians. The Palestinian Health Ministry has announced that over 900 Palestinians, including 257 children and 68 women, have been killed and another 4,000 wounded in the Israeli assault on Gaza, which started with coordinated airstrikes on December 27. Israel's casualties are estimated at 13 people, including 10 military personnel.
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