IDF: Northern front spurring Gaza fighting
Army commander assesses that Gaza terror groups are more motivated to target Israeli forces in light of fighting in Lebanon; IDF Gaza operations continue against Qassam crews and launch sites
An IDF commander assessed Monday that, spurred by the conflict in Lebanon, Gaza terror groups would amplify efforts to target IDF soldiers.
“The connection between the two fronts increases the will of terror organizations to weaken the IDF while it is operating with such great force (in Lebanon),” Golani Brigade Commander Lt.-Col. Rasan Alian explained to Ynet.
Tank shells Gaza targets (Photo: AP)
“We can stay in Gaza for a week, and we will reach everything we’re after,” Alian said. He noted that since the onset of Operation Summer Rain in the strip, some 100 terrorists were killed. On Monday, five soldiers were lightly wounded in fighting in Gaza – two during morning operations and three during an evening operation.
Overnight Sunday Golani tank and engineering troops entered the Beit Hanoun area, known to be one of the top terrorist strongholds in Gaza. The aim of the operation was to strike areas used by Qassam crews to fire missiles at Israel and demolish sites that served as terrorist hideouts.
Lt.-Col. Alian said forces had advanced 500-700 meters into Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.
“In the beginning of the operation, confrontations with terrorists were relatively low, but shooting incidents have been increasing. We struck a number of gunmen who threatened forces, and we demolished at least four cells trying to fire anti-tank missiles,” he said.
IDF data showed that since the weekend, when the IDF entered north Gaza as part of Operation “Final Score,” roughly 20 gunmen were killed. In a number of incidents, the air force fired on gunmen that were identified approaching ground forces.
“The fighting is difficult,” Alian noted, adding that an inseparable part of fighting in Gaza was avoiding harming the civilian population.
