By Aryeh Savir
JERUSALEM (TNA)–The IDF is continuing to broaden its ground operation in the Gaza Strip. Its current primary objective is to seek and destroy tunnels used by Hamas terrorists. Ground forces, armor, artillery and Special Forces are participating in the action. Reports indicate that the forces are meeting formidable opposition by Hamas. Hamas invests months and even years in digging these terror tunnels, and therefore are doing all they can to thwart the IDF’s efforts to seek and destroy them. The operation is executed slowly and with surgical precision as Hamas has booby-trapped the tunnels, forcing the troops to work slowly and at times in open areas in Gaza, leaving them exposed to sniper and anti-tank fire.
Over 70 Gaza fighters have been killed in battles with the IDF. In one incident yesterday a terrorist burst out of a tunnel and attacked a paratrooper unit; he was killed in the gun fight. Hamas has further resorted to suicide attacks, using animals as well as carriers of the deadly charges. Twenty one suspected terrorists were arrested and taken for further questioning.
On Sunday, July 20, The IDF announced it will open a field hospital for Gazan civilians. The medical center will provide medical services to the Gazan wounded, as well as other medical services required, including a maternity ward. The hospital will be staffed by doctors, nurses and medical technicians. The hospital, situated at the Erez crossing, will be deployed in a rocket proof building.
Israel also agreed on Sunday to a two hour humanitarian-based cease fire in the Sagae’ya area to enable the Hamas to treat their wounded and collect their dead. The IDF has called on the civilian population to take advantage of the cease fire and evacuate the area.
Over 40 tunnel shafts have been discovered; five of the tunnels run their course all the way into Israel. In a 24 hour period the IDF attacked some 450 terror targets from the air, sea and land, including 10 hidden rocket launchers. Since the beginning of the operation the IDF has attacked some 2570 targets
The incursion and close-quarters fighting is exacting its toll. Early Friday morning, First Sgt. Eitan Barak, 20, was killed during the entry into Gaza. Yesterday, Sgt. Adar Barsano, 20, and Maj. (res.) Amotz Greenberg, 45, were killed by Hamas terrorists who infiltrated into Israel. They were killed as a group of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel through a tunnel from Gaza and attempted to carry out a massacre in an Israeli community near the border. The IDF thwarted the attack. One of the infiltrators was killed; the others escaped to Gaza. Two IDF soldiers were wounded in the attack. The terror cell was wearing IDF uniforms and carrying with them sedatives and binding equipment, evidence of their ongoing efforts to abduct Israeli civilians.
Early this morning Second Lieutenant Bar Rahav, of the combat Engineers, aged 21, was killed by an anti-tank missile that hit the vehicle he was riding. Sergeant Benaya Rubel, a paratrooper, aged 20, was killed in clashes in the Gaza Strip. An IDF officer was seriously injured in this incident.
Since Saturday night two IDF soldiers have been seriously injured, one was moderately wounded and another two were lightly wounded.
Rockets continue to rain down on civilian targets in Israel, albeit in a lessened intensity and frequency. However, Hamas still has the ability to fire on Israel’s main cities, including Be’er Sheva and Tel Aviv, and did so Sunday morning. An Israeli Bedouin was killed over the weekend by a rocket and four members of his family were wounded, including a three month old baby who is in critical condition. The Israeli military said Hamas terrorists have fired at least 1,705 rockets out of an estimated stockpile of about 10,000, a depletion of about 17 percent.
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On the diplomatic front, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu continued efforts to maintain the international support for Israel’s operation against Hamas, and Qatar will host a meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Sunday in an attempt to reach a ceasefire agreement.
Netanyahu met Saturday night, July 19, with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and told him at the start of their meeting: “I don’t think the international community should create any kind of symmetry between a democracy legitimately acting in its own self-defense trying to avoid civilian casualties and a terrorist organization that deliberately targets millions of innocent civilians. I know it’s not the position of France and I think it shouldn’t be the position of anyone in the international community.” French-led efforts to reach a deal failed to yield results. Fabius, who flew to Israel after talks in Egypt and Jordan, told reporters after meeting with Netanyahu: “Sadly I can say that the call for a ceasefire has not been heard, and on the contrary, there’s a risk of more civilian casualties that worries us.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu also spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and told him about the missiles that were found at a UN school in Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Hamas is hiding rockets in schools and firing them at Israeli schools and noted that Hamas is using schools, residences, mosques and hospitals in order to launch rockets at Israeli civilians. He added that since Hamas is using innocent civilians as human shields for its terrorist activities, it is responsible if civilians are inadvertently hit.On Friday, July 18, Netanyahu spoke with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and asked him to publish photographs showing the munitions that were hidden in a UN school in Gaza.
Later on Friday evening, Netanyahu spoke with US President Barack Obama. During their conversation a siren was heard as a result of missile fire from Gaza to Israel and the Prime Minister explained that this was the reality in which millions of Israelis have been living recently. Netanyahu further thanked US President Obama for America’s support of Israel’s right to defend itself and for the partnership in developing the Iron Dome system.
Speaking to reporters after the conversation, Obama said, “We discussed Israel’s military operation in Gaza, including its efforts to stop the threat of terrorist infiltration through tunnels into Israel. I reaffirmed my strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself. No nation should accept rockets being fired into its borders or terrorists tunneling into its territory. In fact, while I was having the conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, sirens went off in Tel Aviv.”
Obama also said expressed concern about “the loss of more innocent life. “And that’s why we’ve indicated although we support military efforts by the Israelis to make sure that rockets are not being fired into their territory, we also have said that our understanding is the current military ground operations are designed to deal with the tunnels,” he said. He noted that Secretary of State John Kerry “is working to support Egypt’s initiative to pursue that outcome. I told Prime Minister Netanyahu that John is prepared to travel to the region following additional consultations.”
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Preceding provided by Tazpit News Agency