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Israeli tanks take fight to rockets
 FOR the first time since an Israeli soldier was seized by Palestinian militants last month, Israeli tanks and bulldozers rolled into northern Gaza just after dawn yesterday in an operation to locate tunnels and explosives on the border fence. After a sixth straight night of air raids to pressure the Palestinians into handing over Gilad Shalit, Israeli troops took up positions on rooftops of the northern Gaza communities of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya in an operation aimed at stopping the fire of homemade rockets from vacant fields near the security barrier. The foray into the north of the Gaza Strip came as troops in southern Gaza prepared for an operation to rescue Corporal Shalit, who was seized nine days ago from inside a tank stationed 200m inside the Israeli border. Intelligence officials believe the 19-year-old is being held in the centre of the restive strip, possibly within the narrow alleys of the Khan Younis refugee camp, which would make a safe rescue extremely difficult. Pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat reported that an Egyptian delegation mediating in the crisis had met Corporal Shalit in the Gaza Strip, but gave neither a date nor location. The Israeli military denied that the incursion into northern Gaza marked the start of a threatened large-scale attack against Palestinian militants. "This is not a massive ground entrance," a military source said. "This is a pin-point operation to locate tunnels and explosives near the border fence." It came after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered the army to intensify operations to secure the release of Corporal Shalit. Posted by: Fred 2006-07-03 |
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