| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel to launch sweep of Gaza? |
| 2005-10-27 |
| WND. Salt as needed. Just one month after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon evacuated his country's military forces from the Gaza Strip, officially ending Israel's presence in the area, IDF troops are now deployed along the border preparing to reenter Gaza for a possible ground offensive that could take place within hours, WND has learned. Jewish residents along the Israeli border with Gaza tell WND ground troops backed by IDF tanks began amassing this morning and are currently on standby awaiting orders to enter the Gaza Strip. They say the army has warned Palestinian civilians to leave select northern Gaza areas routinely used by militants to fire rockets into nearby Israeli towns. Senior IDF officials told WND Sharon and Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz have been meeting the past few hours to decide whether to send the ground forces into Gaza. They say any IDF ground incursion, which could be ordered tonight, would be limited in scope and duration, likely focusing on and near Beit Hanun in northern Gaza. "It will be in and out fast, a sweep of the area," said a senior IDF official speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media on the matter. Another IDF official, also speaking anonymously, said he doesn't think Sharon will make the call to send in the ground forces. "The fallout is too much diplomatically to re-enter Gaza," said the official. "We don't stand to gain enough from one isolated ground operation. Israel will look foolish having to go back into Gaza. The troops on the border may be for show, to warn the Palestinians what the next stage is if they continue their terrorism." The possible operation comes in response to yesterday's suicide bombing in an open-air market in the coastal city of Hadera just north of Tel Aviv, killing five people and wounding more than two dozen others. Hadera has been a frequent target of bombings during the past five years. Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the blast. WND reported today sources close to the Al Asqa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, said their group was also involved in the suicide attack. Sharon and Mofaz reportedly met last night and decided upon a two-prong military response: a focus on the Islamic Jihad West Bank infrastructure and the targeting of Qassam launch sites in Gaza. |
| Posted by:Jackal |
| #2 Bulldoze the whole motha'f****n mess into the Med but you'd probably have to file an enviromental inpact statement |
| Posted by: Cheaderhead 2005-10-27 22:29 |
| #1 Israel to launch sweep of Gaza? better bring plenty of Hefy Bags. no blowers! |
| Posted by: Red Dog 2005-10-27 20:59 |