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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| The start of the ground offensive? IDF artillery opens up |
| 2009-01-03 |
| For the first time since the operation in Gaza got underway, IDF artillery cannons started to shell targets in the Strip. IDF artillery cannons began pounding the eastern sector of the Gaza Strip around 4 pm Saturday. Ynet correspondent Ron Ben-Yishai reported that portable artillery batteries are engaging in a heavy bombardment of the area. This is the first time in three years that the IDF has fired artillery shells at Gaza targets. Most shells are landing in what the Palestinians characterize as the "security zone" adjacent to the Gaza Strip fence. The IDF is targeting rocket launching sites in Jabaliya, Khan Younis, and Beit Hanoun. Palestinian witnesses said the barrage caused a large explosion in Gaza City. Later, Palestinian sources reported that at least 10 people were killed and dozens injured in a blast in a Beit Lahiya mosque in the northern Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Air Force aircraft continued to drop leaflets in Gaza, calling on residents to leave their homes in order to avoid injury. The leaflets dropped Saturday read: "Area resident, as result of the acts undertaken by terror activists in your area against Israel, the IDF is forced to respond immediately and operate in this area. For your own safety, you are asked to leave the area immediately." Earlier Saturday, the Air Force attacked a vehicle in Khan Younis carrying Hamas officer Muhammad Maaruf and another group member. The two were reportedly killed in the strike. Saturday morning, a senior Hamas commander was assassinated. |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #46 That's OK, tw - you know I'll be glad to do it for you. I think you're going to have to re-sharpen your (But not nearly as dull as he is.) |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-01-03 23:52 |
| #45 Barbara dear, you know I would never curse under such circumstances. The recipient must have earnt such language, and poor Mr. Metnaka isn't capable of getting close. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-01-03 23:39 |
| #44 But surely, Mr. Metnaka, you can come up with something better than "Trailer Park Wife". Even that sad little Saudi boy waxed eloquent over my armpit hair, although he was a bit confused about the kind of chemistry my father taught at university. But then, the Saudi boy had something remotely resembling a proper education, which gave him a bit of an advantage over you. As for that other other attempt, you really shouldn't display your ignorance like that to those who actually know what you fancy you're talking about. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-01-03 23:37 |
| #43 "6. I'm sorry, but there will be no repeat for the Gazans. Hopefully those in the West Bank will have learnt the lesson well. Else sooner or later Step 5 will be repeated on their side of the line. Shalom." TW, can I hope in this particular case "shalom" translates as "FOAD"? ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-01-03 23:36 |
| #42 Not quite, Mr. Metnaka. More like: 1. Jews buy land in good faith from Arab landowners. 2. Arabs attempt unsuccessfully to steal the land back; some get killed in the process. 3. Arabs gather five British-trained armies in unsuccessful attempt to drive the Jews out; many get killed in the process, Arabs demand hudna, which foreign press translate incorrectly as cease fire. 4. Repeat several times, each spectacularly unsuccessful, each resulting in the Jews -- now with their own country called Israel -- conquering more Arab land, for which the Arabs paid in many deaths and much destruction in their remaining territory. 5. Prove to Israel and the world that the Palestinians can neither be bought nor bargained with, but that they will continue to murder Israelis so long as the Palestinians live. Prove to the world that the Palestinians are as rabid dogs, unsafe to have in the neighborhood. Then watch as Israel realizes they may not have an ally in the White House for very much longer. 6. I'm sorry, but there will be no repeat for the Gazans. Hopefully those in the West Bank will have learnt the lesson well. Else sooner or later Step 5 will be repeated on their side of the line. Shalom. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-01-03 23:32 |
| #41 "Let's see if I got this straight from you Pretty much, YM. Though calling even the paleos "fags" is rude (not necessarily incorrect, but rude). Perhaps you could explain about getting juice from Russia, though. I doubt they can grow oranges (or other sub-tropical and tropical fruits) that far north, and anyway Israel grows its own. As could the paleos if they weren't too busy murdering Jews. But thanks for playing, and I'm sure Fred and the mods have some lovely parting gifts for you. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-01-03 23:28 |
| #40 Yawlitosis, I wish you'd show up earlier. I'm watching a football game. IDF vs. Hamas, sudden death OT. |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2009-01-03 23:26 |
| #39 FG - your duty and privilege is to bend over and take in an Ehud with a little side Olmert deep while you salute the david star in beersheeba. |
| Posted by: Yawlad Metnaka 2009-01-03 23:20 |
| #38 Trailer Park Wife - God has nothing to do with these talmud thumping degenerates |
| Posted by: Yawlad Metnaka 2009-01-03 23:16 |
| #37 AU - Let's see if I got this straight from you fags.. (1) Grab more Paleo land (2) build settlements on grabbed land (3) convince downtrodden ruskie juice to move to promised land in said settlements (4) evicted Paleos fire rockets at thieving born-again juice (5) Israel Defense Fags kill women and children (6) Goto Step (1).. does that sound about right? |
| Posted by: Yawlad Metnaka 2009-01-03 23:12 |
| #36 pleased to comfort, TW. I'm there with our Jewish allies under siege. As a Catholic, it is my duty and privilege. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-01-03 21:40 |
| #35 Just what I needed, Frank. Thank you. Translation note: Hashem literally means the name, ie the name of God, ie God. Amen, as I recall (Hebrew school was many, many years ago) translates as so be it, or so mote it be. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-01-03 20:41 |
| #34 #32 I'll trade accurate for high lethality and PK in that prayer. |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2009-01-03 18:27 |
| #33 The Israeli's used the 175mm to great effect in the siege of Beirut. I also believe they have some of the 8" howitzers that fires a 200lb shell. With either, tunnel=grave. |
| Posted by: A_Rovian_Desciple 2009-01-03 16:48 |
| #32 Bless the IDF - may they be smart, agile, and accurate. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2009-01-03 16:35 |
| #31 Gazens keep shooting toward the Western Negev communities. (What's the target?) |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-01-03 16:23 |
| #30 The tanks are rolling through Gaza. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2009-01-03 16:21 |
| #29 I'm Catholic :-) so I had to get the translation |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-01-03 16:05 |
| #28 #23 Frank G - I ain't Jewish (or Christian, either) but I join our Israeli friends in saying that prayer with great meaning. Thanks. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-01-03 16:02 |
| #27 tipper if they never go in this shit will never end it will always be atit for tat. As far as i'm concerned when they put the kiddies in hamas style fatigues and the women want too blow themsleves up among the pigs and apes they are no longer civilians |
| Posted by: rabid whitetail 2009-01-03 15:41 |
| #26 FWIW I think the Israeli objective is to get Hamas on the move and kill as many operatives as possible, while getting the bulk to 'desert'. Fatah can then stage a counter-coup and do the wet work. We shall see. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2009-01-03 15:36 |
| #25 "Area resident, as result of the acts undertaken by terror activists in your area against Israel, the IDF is forced to respond immediately and operate in this area. For your own safety, you are asked to leave the area immediately." I like the use of the word, area. The semantic war also needs to be won. Occupation=all of Israel Area=all of Gaza (get out while you can) |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2009-01-03 15:18 |
| #24 Since Gazens are tunnel rats.... Likely tunnels in more places than the Egyptian border, the troops should remember to watch in all directions all the time. Also, flooding tunnels works well... So do skunks and snakes dropped into tunnels. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-01-03 15:17 |
| #23 Muqata is a good source of info as is IsraellyCool A prayer for the IDF soldiers: English Translation: He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Force, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea. May Hashem cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighting men from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor. May He lead our enemies under their sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is Hashem, your God, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you. Now let us respond: Amen. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-01-03 15:08 |
| #22 Arclight is bombers (buff-loads to be precise). Field Artillery is still the King of Battle. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2009-01-03 15:08 |
| #21 Game on! |
| Posted by: Wolverine 2009-01-03 15:06 |
| #20 You forgot: ZROOM! ZROOM! clank clank clank |
| Posted by: .5MT 2009-01-03 14:57 |
| #19 There is nothing like skilled, well coordinated artillery fires to totally mess up you day. ARCLIGHT. Somebody had to say it and OP doesn't seem to be around. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2009-01-03 14:49 |
| #18 The IDF claims their goal is to take control of the border areas of Gaza to deny Hamas areas from which to launch rockets, so looks more like an incursion rather than an invasion. It's been suggested here before at Rantburg. The IDF should grab some Gaza territory and keep it. Then tell Hamas, and Observer and Ariel Sharon too (love is all you need, guys), that if the rockets don't stop more territory will be grabbed. Tell them they can have some of it back if they remove that part of their charter that calls for the destruction of Israel. Rinse and repeat until there is no more Gaza and no more Hamas left. Any bets on whether Hamas will be firing missiles from the beach before the D9s push them into the Med? ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2009-01-03 14:44 |
| #17 The Israelis had 24 175mm cannon and shells for them in 1974. They have an effective range of about 40km. They can park them in Beersheba and put rounds into Gaza City. I don't know if they have any currently active, though. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-01-03 14:44 |
| #16 "Diehard Democratic... communities here in the US please take note of your November 4th, 2008 decisions". Besoeker, I'm more concerned Obama will be poll driven like his Dem predecessors. Polls suggest more than 2/3rd of Obama's constituency think Israel should still be jabbering rather than resorting to principles of self-defense. |
| Posted by: MarkZ 2009-01-03 14:33 |
| #15 "Can't wait to watch some Ass-raeli talmud tail being kicked in a ground offensive back to their Beersheeba bitches." heh-heh-heh, ha-ha-ha, ho-ho-ho aha-aha-aha yeah, asserver, that's gonna happen. Better stick to whining about Israel's "disproportionate response". So far, Israel ain't dropped the ball once and the fact that they're willing to bomb Mosques means that the human shield bullshit ain't gonna work either. It's popcorn time! |
| Posted by: Goober Omaviper6933 2009-01-03 14:19 |
| #14 Do enjoy your wait, Observer. No doubt it will be a long one, and at the end you will declare victory entirely unrelated to actual events, just like you did after the second invasion of Lebanon and the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-01-03 14:15 |
| #13 The IDF claims their goal is to take control of the border areas of Gaza to deny Hamas areas from which to launch rockets, so looks more like an incursion rather than an invasion. |
| Posted by: tipper 2009-01-03 14:10 |
| #12 The Israeli artillery can hit anywhere in Gaza at will. And the troops are going in. God go with you, guys. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2009-01-03 14:03 |
| #11 Well, I certainly hope they make the best of it. They've essentially got 2 weeks before the Obamessiah starts posturing, arm twisting and threatening (behind the scenes diplocatic US military aid pressure). Diehard Democratic pro-Obama Jewish communities here in the US please take note of your November 4th, 2008 decisions. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-01-03 13:47 |
| #10 IIRC, 155s should have a range of at least 24 km. |
| Posted by: Minister of funny walks 2009-01-03 13:43 |
| #9 Fox is now reporting "reports" of troops crossing the border. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2009-01-03 13:42 |
| #8 Can't wait to watch some Ass-raeli talmud tail being kicked in a ground offensive back to their Beersheeba bitches. |
| Posted by: Observer 2009-01-03 13:36 |
| #7 Standard field artillery has an effective range of what, twelve miles? The Strip is no more than ten miles wide at any spot. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2009-01-03 13:19 |
| #6 How far can Israeli artillery reach? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-01-03 13:13 |
| #5 This is hilarious. Hamas set up a bunch of ground defensive positions to ambush the Israeli ground offensive, not imagining that they would initiate with artillery fires. I bet this is also making Hezbollah poop its drawers as well, because they had the same idea in Lebanon. There is nothing like skilled, well coordinated artillery fires to totally mess up you day. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-01-03 12:46 |
| #4 I just hope they don't go in. Fighting in urban areas against "civilians" is a no win situation.. The only time it works, is if you are prepared to do a Hama and I don't think the Israelis are that blood thirsty. |
| Posted by: tipper 2009-01-03 12:40 |
| #3 They can always head to the beach and go for a swim.... |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2009-01-03 12:39 |
| #2 you are asked to leave the area immediately... Rush the Egyptian fence? Not many places to go.. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-01-03 12:26 |
| #1 Artillery heh? Not so much door knockery now maybe. Abu.... ye got 12 8 2 nvr mnd. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2009-01-03 11:47 |