2 children among 13 killed in Gaza
Print Edition
THE Israeli military launched what could be a long-term offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip yesterday, striking more than 100 sites and mobilizing troops for a possible ground invasion aimed at stopping a heavy barrage of rocket attacks against Israel.
At least 13 Palestinians, including two children, were killed in the attacks from air and sea, Palestinian officials said. The military said the open-ended operation aims to deliver a blow against the Islamic Hamas group, and end the rocket fire that has reached deeper into Israel.
Israeli officials said the government had authorized the army to mobilize an additional 40,000 troops, if needed, for the operation. The army said there were no immediate plans to call up the troops but that they would be activated depending on operational needs. Israel has already mobilized about 1,500 reservists.
The rocket attacks and Israeli counterstrikes have intensified in recent weeks as tensions have soared over the killing of three Israeli teenagers and the apparent revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager by three Jewish suspects.
The military said more than 120 rockets hit Israel over the past two days, a dramatic spike after nearly two years of relative quiet that followed a previous Israeli campaign to root out Gaza rocket launchers.
Israel responded with dozens of airstrikes throughout Gaza, targeting the homes of several Hamas operatives allegedly involved in rocket fire.
In addition, the military said it struck militant compounds, concealed rocket launchers, and other militant infrastructure sites. Most were targeted by airstrikes, and three were attacked from the sea. Later, it also took out what it said was a Hamas command center embedded within a civilian building.
The four Hamas militants killed yesterday died when an airstrike hit the car in which they were traveling, Hamas officials said. One of the dead was identified as Mohammed Shaban, a senior militant.
Later yesterday, another airstrike hit the home of a Hamas leader in the southern town of Khan Younis, killing seven people and wounding 25.
They said two children were among the dead. The airstrike caused panic as crowds of people, some of them bloodied, fled the smoldering remains. Screaming Palestinians took away motionless bodies, including what appeared to be the two children.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to prepare options for every scenario, including a potential ground invasion.
“We will not tolerate rocket fire on Israel cities, and we are preparing to expand the operation with everything at our disposal to strike Hamas,” said Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, who announced a special state of emergency in southern Israel.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Israel to halt the airstrikes and appealed for calm. “The Palestinian leadership is conducting intensive and urgent contacts with regional and international parties to stop the escalation,” he said.
Abbas has little influence over Gaza Strip. Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, and despite a recent unity deal that ostensibly handed control back to Abbas, the militant group remains the dominant power there.
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