Gaza: Soldier seriously hurt
On 4th day of Autumn Clouds 6 Palestinians killed: IAF air strike kills 2 Hamas operatives; 3 killed in Jabaliya strikes; man wounded Friday dies of his injuries. Troops expose large weapons storehouse
The IDF soldier was seriously wounded Saturday morning during an IDF operation in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, it was released for publication.
The Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheba issued a statement on Saturday evening saying the soldier was in serious but stable condition. He had suffered serious wounds to the head, the statement said.
During the incident Palestinians detonated an explosive device near soldiers, and a gun battle ensued. The wounded soldier was airlifted for treatment at the Soroka Hospital in Beersheba.
Saturday afternoon two brothers, members of Hamas' armed wing the Izz a-Din al-Qassam Brigades, were killed in a military strike in Jabaliya, raising Saturday's death toll to six, and the overall death toll to over 40.
An Air Force air strike targeting Hamas members reportedly involved in Qassam attacks on Israel killed two people. Palestinians reported that forces also struck east of the Jabaliya neighborhood, killing one person and wounding four more. It was further reported that Palestinian gunmen were firing anti-tank missiles at Israeli forces operating in the area.
In addition, Palestinians reported that one person that suffered serious injuries when the IAF fired a missile at atarget next to a mosque Friday evening, died of his wounds, raising the number of casualties in that incident to two. Palestinians said a number of worshippers were hurt in the strike. The IDF confirmed that a missile was fired in the area, noting that it was aimed at an area opposite the mosque and hit a Palestinian gunmen who was planting explosives there.
Beit Hanoun also saw a number of gun battles. Overnight Saturday and in the early morning, the air force targeted a number of cells involved in planting explosives and firing Qassams at Israel.
On Saturday morning and IAF aircraft struck a vehicle in which Hamas members were driving in Gaza City. The IDF attributed numerous Qassam attacks to the operatives. Two were killed in the strike, Palestinians reported. One of the casualties was a top figure in the production of Qassam rockets in Gaza. According to Palestinian claims, three more Hamas operatives were hurt in the strike.
During the overnight and morning operations, at least ten terrorists were hit, some of them fatally. Up until now, the number of casualties from the Gaza operation since Wednesday stands at over 40 killed and some 200 wounded.
In searching the area, troops uncovered a weapons cache which included RPG missiles, Kalashnikovs and grenades. The shed was hidden in three adjacent homes. During searches of the store-room, the suspicion arose that it was booby-trapped and therefore forces detonated it in a controlled explosion.
In addition, forces located two Qassam launchers in the village, two RPG missile-launchers, 32 Kalshnikovs, various ammunitions, 20 grenades, two communications devices, IDF uniforms and 14 military vests. Likewise, they found rifle sights and other observation devices.
Haniyeh calls for intervention
Meanwhile on Friday Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh accused Israel of turning the Gaza Strip into “an experiment field for non-conventional weapons that are being used for the first time.”
Speaking to the Palestinian news agency Ramatan, Haniyeh said the Israeli operation pointed first and foremost to the intra-Israeli arena and was meant to cover up the Israeli army’s “failure and defeat in Lebanon.”
Haniyeh called on the international community to interfere and stop the Israeli operation. He expressed astonishment over the global silence over Israel’s military operations in the past three days.
Ali Waked contributed to the report
