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Shaul Mofaz
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Soldier evacuated after Qassam attack on army base
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Mofaz orders air strikes in Gaza

Israel air force to continue strikes in Gaza, defense minister orders Thursday; security officials instruct military to target Qassam launching sites with artillery fire, sabotage bridges, infrastructure; however, no ground operation planned in meantime

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered the IAF on Thursday to continue air strikes deep into Palestinian territory in Gaza in response to ongoing Qassam attacks on Israel in recent days. The decision to carry on with the strikes was taken during a meeting Mofaz held with senior officials to evaluate the escalation in the security situation.

 

The evaluation was conducted under the heavy impression left by the Qassam fire on an Israeli army base south of Ashkelon, which took place early Thursday.

 

Mofaz instructed the air force to persist with strikes against areas in Gaza from which Qassams are launched, and ordered the IDF to act in a bid to block Palestinian access to launching pads.

 

The army was directed to conduct massive artillery fire at launch sites, while military aircrafts will target bridges and infrastructures.

 

However, the security officials currently refrain from initiating a ground operation in the Strip.

 

'Gradual offensive'

 

The security establishment has no intention of significantly changing the nature of the military operations in Gaza. The defense minister's move to accelerate the aerial strikes can be defined as only a half-gear shift.

 

The only change in the IDF's strategy is set to lie in the attempt to block for passage areas within the Strip tagged as harboring wide-spread launching activity.

 

These areas will be targeted by aircrafts and artillery fire, without any ground military access into Gaza. The operations are to compile of preemptive measures to counter terrorists' access to launch sites, as well as real-time responses and fire at suspects in these territories.

 

By employing this strategy, the IDF will be able to establish an additional "security strip" deep in Palestinian territory, which will include areas in the northern Strip, from which Qassam fire at the Western Negev and Ashkelon is carried out, and small areas in the south of the Strip, from which rockets have been launched at the southern Negev.

 

These actions will help decrease, if not prevent altogether, rocket fire at Israel.

 

During the meeting Thursday, the possibility of a ground operation was discussed, but no steps to implement such action were taken. The security establishment has in effect decided to employ a strategy of "gradual offensive," where each stage of the fighting is more severe than the one before it.

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.22.05, 19:27
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