Israeli Operations in Gaza may have begun…

June 27, 2006 in Global War On Terror, Hamas, Israel, Palestinians, Terrorism

Fox News is reporting that Israeli air and ground operations have begun in Gaza. Perhaps this is the begining of the end of the Hamas led Palestinian government.

GAZA (Reuters) – An Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a bridge in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday as troops prepared for a threatened offensive into the territory, Palestinian witnesses said.

Israel has been planning a major push into the territory following the capture of an Israeli soldier by militants from Gaza on Sunday.

The BBC reports

Israeli tanks and troops are massing on the border of Gaza, where it is thought the soldier is being held.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has warned a large scale military operation is rapidly approaching.

In other developments:

• The Israeli military says it has arrested 43 suspected Palestinian militants in overnight raids across the West Bank
• Egypt has deployed hundreds of riot police along its border with the Gaza Strip to stop any Palestinian attempts to cross illegally in the event of Israeli raids, Reuters news agency reports
• Israeli police says it is taking reports of the kidnapping of a West Bank settler “very seriously” – one of the groups said to be involved in the capture of Gila Shalit has said it abducted the settler.

AP Reports

Israeli planes hit 2 bridges and power station.

Israeli planes attacked two bridges and a power station, knocking out electricity in most of the Gaza Strip early Wednesday and stepping up the pressure on Palestinian militants holding captive a 19-year-old Israeli soldier.

As tanks were seen moving along the Israeli side of the border fence with Gaza, Palestinians dug in behind mounds of dirt, preparing for a possible Israeli offensive.

HAARETZ.com

28 June

Exiled Hamas leader says Palestinians should sieze more soldiers. 

A Hamas official close to the group’s exiled leader said Tuesday that the Palestinians should try to capture more Israel Defense Forces soldiers, criticizing Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for helping Israel search for a soldier seized by militants.

IAF attacks 3 bridges in Central Gaza.

An Israel Air Force aircraft attacked three bridges in the central Gaza Strip on Monday, in an effort to prevent miltants from transporting kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit within the Strip.  

Israel Defense Forces tanks rolled into the southern Gaza Strip

Israel Defense Forces tanks rolled into the southern Gaza Strip near Kerem Shalom before dawn on Wednesday, Palestinian sources said. The IDF intends to gain control of all open areas in the Strip east of the southern town of Rafah.

The operation is expected to put pressure on Palestinians to release abducted IDF soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit, after two days of failed mediation.

03:15 Militants threaten to kill abducted Jewish settler if Israel doesn`t stop Gaza raid (AP) 

My guess is that if the Militants kill either of the two they abducted, there will be some serious hell to pay…

Terror Group displays ID of abducted teen 

The Popular Resistance Committees held a press conference on Wednesday, during which a spokesman for the group displayed the national identification card of Itamar settler Eliyahu Yitzhak Asheri.

27 June

Fatah and Hamas to form Unity Government 

Fatah will join Hamas in a Palestinian Authority unity government within two weeks, a faction official said Tuesday after completing an agreement with Hamas over a plan that implicitly recognizes Israel.

So they just figured out who those tanks parked just outside the Gaza Strip belong to? I guess that Unity Government will never get off the ground.

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