Israeli ground forces rolled into the Gaza Strip on Saturday night, as the military announced the beginning of the second stage of a massive, eight-day offensive that has already cost more than 430 Palestinian lives. "The objective of this step is to destroy the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas . . . in order to greatly reduce the quantity of rockets fired by Hamas at Israeli civilians," the Israeli military said in a statement. Palestinian witnesses reported seeing Israeli vehicles move into Gaza near the strip's northeast corner. Israel said the ground-based assault would include tanks, infantry and artillery. Until Saturday, Israel had exclusively relied on air and sea power to conduct its offensive against Hamas, which began a week ago.
The ground invasion came under cover of darkness around 8 p.m., with electricity having been cut for much of the territory. Soldiers with night-vision goggles advanced on foot, while others traveled in tanks and armored personnel carriers. Hamas officials vowed to fight back against the onslaught.
Earlier in the day, Hamas and its allies in Gaza fired 30 rockets into Israel, hitting three homes. There were no major injuries. During the past eight days, four Israelis have been killed, three of them civilians.
The military said it planned to take control of some areas used by Hamas to launch rockets. It was unclear how long Israel intended to hold those areas, or how deep into Gaza the forces planned to move.
It is not uncommon for Israel to move ground forces into Gaza for relatively quick, targeted strikes. But Israeli officials indicated that this operation will be lengthy. "It will not be easy or short. But we are determined. . . . Now is the time to do what needs to be done," said Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in a news conference late Saturday night.
Barak said the goal of the operation was to "get Hamas to stop its hostile activities against Israel."
Other Israeli military officials in television interviews also suggested that the incursion would not be short-lived. One spokeswoman, Maj. Avital Leibovich, said on CNN that it would be a "lengthy operation" because "we have many, many targets." Another, Brigadier Avi Benayahu, said on Israel's Channel Two, "We are talking about many long days."
