The Immediate IDF Challenge Is To Secure the Rocket Sites.
Because the Hamas teams have kept their 220mm Katyushas until the eventuality of the ground action, and the Hamas rocket teams will have the shoot order now. Below a photo of a large secondary explosion in the north Gaza, perhaps a weapons cache or more likely a fuel dump. The 220mm Katyusha can reach Dimona and Tel Aviv.
We can expect air raid drills in Tel Aviv if and when Hamas gets off a barrage.
Israeli troops move into Gaza Strip
First ground action of 8-day offensive
Israeli ground forces enter Gaza in escalation
AP - 24 mins ago
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israeli tanks and infantry entered Gaza after nightfall Saturday, launching a ground offensive that the military said would be a "lengthy operation" in a widening war on Gaza's Hamas rulers
Israeli Ground Forces Push Into Gaza
The battle plan is for the Golani Brigade and the Para Brigade to clear the wire for the tank spearheads. It is dark another six to seven hours, and the IDF owns the night with night-vision goggles (right) and sites and UAVs. The big Hamas bunkers are likely in the southern Gaza. The same for the video of destroyed buildings and dead civilians. Speaking to my best sources
soon, and we will have several reports from Jerusalem on Sunday 4. Last report was that the IDF is expecting Hamas to launch its longest range rockets. The Israeli Cabinet is reported to have approved an operation to destroy the Hamas military leadership. No update on the Egyptian military blocking at the border. See the first photo below from Haaretz of the IDF armor crossing the wire at dusk. The early reports are of ground fire and Hamas resistance. But mostly Hamas will be on the run into the population centers. The IDF must secure the northern rocket sites.
(1)
Hamas placed a flaming bag of dog poo on Israel's doorstep.
I agree, Kenneth. It's difficult to imagine a positive military outcome from engaging in asymetrical/street-level fighting. I fear the IDF will run into ambushes, RPGs, snipers, and IEDs while the rockets continue to fire. After several weeks, both sides will claim victory and Israel's strategic goal of halting Hamas rocket attacks will go unfulfilled.
I say keep up the air campaign. More rubble, less trouble.
What you see is not what you get. Waiting on open sources. Ask yourself: what is the mission? What targets? Where? How long? With what? Where are Hamas shooters? Why Gaza City?
J
Open source
note locations
http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3649729,00.html
Gaza incursion: IDF targeting rocket launching sites
Following heavy artillery bombardment, Israeli soldiers enter Gaza Saturday evening, operate near Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun to quell rocket fire; dozens of terrorists hurt, some killed. Defense Minister Barak: We won't abandon our citizens, IDF's job is to defend home front
Hanan Greenberg
IDF invades Gaza: IDF ground troops entered the northern Gaza Strip Saturday evening, as the army launched its long anticipated ground operation.
Army officials confirmed that dozens of terrorists were hurt in clashes with IDF ground troops, some of them were killed. In several cases, armed terrorists approached Israeli forces and were shot at by ground troops and IDF gunships. There are no reports of Israeli casualties at this time.
Large IDF ground forces, including Armored and Engineering corps units, as well as infantry soldiers are currently operating in the Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun areas, from which rockets have been launched toward Israel.
The army is preparing to enter the third phase of the operation, which is expected to be much broader in scope. In this framework tens of thousands of reserve soldiers will be heading to training bases in north and south Israel during the early hours of Sunday morning.
The reserve soldiers may take part in the third phase of the operation or be deployed in central and northern Israel in case of escalation on those fronts.
"Calling up the reserves and gearing them up will provide us the flexibility we need in case of any development, particularly if the operation in Gaza is expanded," an army official explained.
A third of the reserve soldiers will receive new equipment as part of a five-year plan initiated by the IDF Logistics Corps following the Second Lebanon War. Other troops will have to make due with outdated gear.
A military official told Ynet that troops were advancing in northern Gaza according to plan.
"For the time being, we are facing several hubs of resistance, yet we are not dealing with massive resistance," he said. "Since we entered there have been no unusual incidents, and the troops are operating in line with pre-determined objectives."
Saturday night, the Palestinians reported that the IDF attacked a fuel depot in Beit Lahiya. Meanwhile, the IDF imposed a 30-kilometer (roughly 20 miles) naval blockade on Gaza. The move was approved by Defense Minister Barak and was meant to prevent foreign vessels from reaching the combat zone.
Earlier in the evening, large infantry, engineering and intelligence forces entered the Strip, accompanied by armored corps and artillery units. Navy vessels and Air Force gunships also played a role in the operation. The troops entered various areas in northern Gaza and fire exchanges were reported soon after.
Determined to win war (Photo: Reuters)
"The objective is to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations," said Major Avital Leibovitch, a military spokeswoman, confirming that incursions were under way. "We are going to take some of the launch areas used by Hamas."
Army Chief Gabi Ashkenazi met with troops before the incursion was launched, and made it clear that the army was fully determined to secure the operation's objectives.
"I have complete faith in you, the commanders and fighters," Ashkenazi told soldiers. "I count on you, I trust you, and I'm backing you. The people of Israel could not have asked for a better team of commanders and fighters."
Meanwhile, the IDF has started calling up thousands of reservists in the framework of emergency call-ups approved by the government. The objective of the call-up is to enable the IDF to expand the ground incursion if necessary.
Reservists have started to arrive at their bases Saturday evening and will continue to come in Sunday.
'It won't be easy'
In a statement to the media Saturday night, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the ground incursion will put Israeli troops in life danger.
"It won't be easy and it won't be brief," he said. 'We're continuing to expand the operation while being well aware that this move will include challenges, difficulties, and also victims. We are doing it because of the faith that at this time this is our duty to citizens of the country."
"Several hours ago, IDF troops entered the Gaza Strip," he said. "So far in the operation, the IDF, the Air Force, and the Intelligence Corps delivered a harsh blow against Hamas.
The defense minister stressed that he debated at length before ordering the ground incursion, adding that Israel was a peace-loving country and pledging that the IDF will have the upper hand by the operation's end.
Troops enter Gaza (Photo: Sky News/AFP)
"The decision to embark on the ground phase of the operation was taken following in depth consideration," he said. "Every alternative was examined thoroughly, while we examined every possible scenario."
"We won't abandon our citizens," Barak said. "The IDF's job is to defend the home front."
Gaza Op
Hundreds of shells hit Gaza / Ron Ben-Yishai
For first time since Gaza op's start, IDF artillery units shell targets in Strip. Meanwhile, Air Force hunts for senior Hamas terror activists in Strip, hits dozens of targets Saturday; Hamas officer killed after car hit by aircraft
Full Story
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Barak, and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met Friday night and approved the ground incursion. The operation was approved in principle in the cabinet session 10 days ago.
Gaza pounded
Earlier in the day, artillery cannons started to shell targets in the Strip. The IDF said that by Saturday evening hundreds of shells had been fired at precise targets in Gaza. Much of Gaza was enveloped by darkness as night fell.
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.
Indeed the operation may be aimed not at the rocketeers, but at decapatating Hamas leadership, routing out Iranian agents, finding weapons or some other goal. I know that the first three news reports from a war zone are always wrong ;)
On a side note, John, I love your show and have listened to just about every broadcast since 2001. You bring clear thinking, smart guests and a genuine passion for history and post-partison discussion to the airwaves. I only wish you were on every night again. I'm in serious withdrawl.
Mehtinks that the ultimate goal should be that all of the professed Palestinian supporters and friends organize a flotilla to rescue, in all somberness, the poor Palestinians of Gaza who have found themselves trapped with their backs against the Mediterranean.
If Israel is sincere in ending rocket fire from the Strip once and for all, this is the only solution.
The Hamas cowards have failed the people that have empowered them and the Hamas cowards have purposely placed them all in peril.
The people of Gaza should rout their leadership and do it quickly. The alternative of a continuing support of failure is to accept their own destruction.
In a righteous world, Israel would turn Gaza into a howling wilderness and nobody would give a damn because the middleast petrostates would long ago have ceased to hold the world in such thrall. The collapse of the British empire continues to reverberate thru world events.
This is about the dispensations and the manifestation of evil during WWII.
All this talk of occupation and apartheid. Who are the occupiers? Historically, the Jews possessed the Land as a nation and have been removed from it how many times? While others moved in to occupy it, the Jews were displaced throughout the globe and assimilated. Until... well, you know.
Remember the fiery furnace? Still they lived on.
How many times? Israel says "NO MORE". I pray that they are able to illuminate the way...
Their nation is a diverse nation and there are a few who just will not coexist and are satisfied with manufacturing chaos in order to disrupt everyone elses lives. In civilized societies, they are called criminals.
oh let's keep killing civilians since they are getting in the way of Hamas..absolutely sickening.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3b3_1230864719
Sam--
Gazans reap what they sew--Hamas is a duly elected government. they chose these thugs to represent them and Gazans will pay the price for their silliness.
What's more, Hamas purposely deploys its arsenals into residential areas--hiding behind women's skirts as the old westerners would say. Israel alerts citizens that action is on the way.
I'd say Gazans have been given every opp to be smart. Seems they don't have it in them.
Do you have an alternative that holds water? a cease fire? how many times has that been tried??? that's just means rearmament to Hamas and their ilk. If this is such a humanitarian catastrophe (I have my doubts), then their fellow moslems in Egypt can take care of the poor civilians.
It seems to me the moslem world is tacitly approving of this action.
Sharon's strategy of giving away Gaza is working. It divided the Palestians geographically and politically. Now Israel can make the way for Abu Mazan to prevail.
Maybe not. The big thing will be if Hamas got EFPs from Iran. Unfortunately, they seem to have picked up on the utility of sniper rifles from the insurgents in Iraq.