Responding to a rocket attack on southern Israel on Wednesday, the Israeli air force struck deep in Gaza during the night.
The IAF targets included factories used in the production of arms near Khan Younis and two tunnels used for weapons smuggling. The tunnels were located in the south of the Gaza region, connecting the Hamas regime in the Palestinian Authority with the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. Hamas-controlled tunnels in Gaza are regularly used for smuggling weapons, rockets, arms components and the terrorists themselves, as well as merchandise and contraband.
The precision strikes were successful, according to IDF spokespersons, and the aircraft returned to their bases unharmed.
Hamas sources admitted that two tunnels were hit, but claimed that the IAF had bombed a military training facility, not a factory. According to Hamas, three people were wounded in the Israeli air strike.
An IDF spokesperson said, “The attack comes in response to rocket fire directed yesterday morning at Israel. The IDF will respond forcefully to any attempt to disrupt the calm situation in the south of the country.”
Wednesday’s rocket attack by PA terrorists targeted the western Negev. The rocket, most likely a shortrange Kassam, landed in an open field between two towns in the Sha’ar HaNegev region. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
In the past month alone, PA terrorists have launched approximately 15 rockets at Jewish communities, primarily in the western Negev.
by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
According to Israel defense analyst Yisrael Ne’eman of MidEast On Target (Dec 16, 2009)…
Hezbollah has recovered from the 2006 summer war with Israel and is said to have at least 15,000 men, 2.5 times the manpower they had three and a half years ago. If last time their rocket capabilities stood at some 12,000 – 15,000 today estimates hover beyond 50,000 with thousands capable of hitting the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. UN Resolution 1701 proved to be a complete washout despite the deployment of UN and Lebanese government forces on Israel’s northern border. All know both forces can be removed in a flash should hostilities break out. The increasingly Shiite influenced Lebanese Army could conceivably join the Hezbollah. In violation of this resolution and previous ones (425 and 1559) Syria and Iran are resupplying the Hezbollah militia/terrorists mostly through the cross border route between Lebanon and Syria. Hezbollah Sec. Gen. Hasan Nasrallah now awaits his orders from Tehran – when to go on the attack.
Hamas took a pounding in last year’s Cast Lead Operation and the organization has not fully recovered. If last year there were some 600 tunnels between Gaza and Sinai today the estimates go as high as 1,000 in addition to smuggling at sea. The supposed contraband blockade to be enforced with European assistance agreed upon last winter has come to naught. The Hamas too has tens of thousands of rockets and of longer range than last year. This time Hamas may very join Hebollah in rocketing Tel Aviv.