Israeli officials have warned that the Israeli military is preparing to attack Gaza in the coming days.
On Wednesday Israeli airstrikes and ground invasions killed three fighters in Beit Lahia, and two in southern Gaza.
Last Saturday one fighter was killed and three injured at a projectile launch pad in northern Gaza, and two children were injured in a separate Israeli attack.
Hamas has been refusing to agree to the resumption of a ‘truce’ until Israel ends its siege of the Gaza Strip under which over a million Palestinians are starving and dozens of Palestinian children are dying in hospitals which have no medicines to treat them.
Ten home-made projectiles were claimed by the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) Salah Ad-Din Brigades to have been fired into Israel.
Ad-Din said that the campaign will see a continuous barrage of home-made projectiles launched at Israeli targets.
Hundreds of small home-made projectiles have been launched from Gaza since the November 4th Israeli invasion of the area, which broke the six months truce then set to expire on December 19th.
One Thai man working in an Israeli greenhouse was injured and a handful of buildings lightly damaged by the projectiles.
Recent Israeli reports say the ‘nation’s military’ is preparing for a ‘limited operation’ in Gaza that will involve both air and ground attacks.
These reports follow weeks of speculation that extrajudicial death squads are to be used to assassinate Hamas leaders in Gaza.
The Israeli cabinet has now approved in principle a ground operation of a ‘few days’ duration with clearly defined goals’.
Israeli officials are using terrorist language around the issue of a Gaza invasion. Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak was quoted as saying: ‘Anyone who harms Israeli citizens and soldiers will pay the price’.
Barak took part in such shoot-to-kill terror operations in both Beirut and other Arab cities, and is an expert in these matters.
Military Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi confirmed that an operation in Gaza will target Hamas ‘assets’ (leaders) and inflict as much damage as possible in a short period of time.
International opinion is strongly against the Israeli siege on Gaza, recognised by all as collective punishment, and even international ‘statesmen’ have begun to insist Israel takes a new line on the Gaza crisis.
On Christmas Day, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared on Arab television warning militants in the Gaza Strip to stop launching rocket attacks on Israel.
Olmert issued a dire final warning that should the attacks continue Israel would be forced to retaliate.
In response, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak asked Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to intervene to stop any military retaliation by Israel – Livni refused.
As Israel’s army finished plans to mount a large military operation into Gaza, Olmert took the rare step of appearing on Arabic television saying: ‘I am telling them now, it may be the last minute, I’m telling them stop it. We are stronger.’
