Israeli soldiers advance near the border
with northern Gaza during a ground operation by the Israeli army late
January 3, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
JERUSALEM, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- As the Israel Defense
Forces (IDF) Cast Lead operation entered its eighth day, the IDF Saturday
evening began its ground incursion into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, vowing
to destroy "terror infrastructure" of Hamas.
"On Saturday evening, the IDF began its ground
incursion into Gaza," an IDF spokesman told Xinhua on the phone, saying that
Cast Lead operation is now entering the second stage.
The purpose of the ground incursion is to destroy
"terror infrastructure of Hamas," said the spokesman, adding that the IDF
soldiers have entered Gaza and exchanged fire with Palestinian militants in
Gaza.
"The incursion will last as long as necessary in
order to achieve the goals of the operation," he noted.
Local daily Ha'aretz quoted IDF Major Avital
Leibovitch, a military spokeswoman, as saying that "the objective is to destroy
the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations."
"We are going to take some of the launch areas used
by Hamas," she said.
The IDF spokesperson's office issued a statement,
emphasizing that this stage of the operation will further the goals of the
eight-day offensive as voiced by the IDF until now: to strike a direct and hard
blow against Hamas while increasing the deterrent strength of the IDF, in order
to bring about an improved and more stable security situation for residents of
southern Israel over the long term.
Meanwhile, Ha'aretz reported that Israeli government
has approved the call-up of tens of thousands of IDF reservists.
A statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister's office
said that in accordance with a secret cabinet discussion Friday, the government
ordered the armed forces "to draft the necessary reservists, on a scale of tens
of thousands of troops."
Shortly after IDF soldiers entered Gaza, Israeli
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that the IDF operation in Gaza will be neither
short nor easy.
Israeli soldiers advance near the border
with northern Gaza during a ground operation by the Israeli army late
January 3, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Barak, who made the remarks while addressing the
nation in a special televised press conference, told the nation that Israel was
not eager to wage war, but could not abandon its citizens, residents of the
south, who have been victimized by Hamas rockets.
Smoke trails of an Israeli air force jet
is seen above the southern Israeli city of Sderot on Jan. 3, 2009. Israeli
artillery shelled Gaza Strip on Saturday, following with the ground
offensive. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Photo Gallery>>>
"The campaign won't be easy and it won't be short,"
he said, noting that the operation entails the risking of Israeli lives. "I know
well the dangers that come with an offensive, and what the heavy price will be."
"I don't want to fool anyone. The residents of
southern Israel will also undergo some tough times," the defense minister
continued.
He also addressed the possibility of an escalation in
violence in northern Israel, along the border with Lebanon, saying that "we hope
that the northern front will remain calm, but we are prepared for any
possibility."
Hours before the IDF ground incursion, the IDF fired
artillery shells into Gaza, which was the first artillery fire since the Cast
Lead Operation starting last Saturday.
Israeli soldiers advance near the border
with northern Gaza during a ground operation by the Israeli army late
January 3, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
According to local news service Ynet, IDF artillery
cannons began pounding the eastern sector of the Gaza Strip around 4 p.m. (1400
GMT) Saturday.
This is the first time in three years that the IDF
has fired artillery shells at Gaza targets, said Ynet, adding that most shells
landed in what the Palestinians characterize as the "security zone" close to the
Gaza Strip fence.
According to Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency
and ambulance services in the Palestinian health ministry, the Cast Lead
operation has so far claimed 462 Palestinians.
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- No agreement was reached among the members of the UN Security Council after discussions on the Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, the president of the council said on Saturday.
"There was no formal agreement among the members of the Security Council," said Jean-Maurice Ripert, France's UN ambassador who holds the council presidency for January. Full story
GAZA, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Hassan Khalaf, an official at Shifa hospital in Gaza City said that about 20 Palestinians were killed on Saturday evening, after Israel launched ground invasion against Gaza Strip.
Khalaf said the 20 killed include both militants and
civilians. Full story
JERUSALEM, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel vowed Saturday evening to destroy "terror
infrastructure of Hamas as its Cast Lead operation starting last Saturday is now
entering its second stage.
"The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Saturday evening began
its ground operation in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, an IDF spokesman told
Xinhua. Full story
UNITED
NATIONS, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Palestine wants the UN Security Council "to send a
strong message to Israelis and demand an immediate cease-fire" in the Gaza
conflict, a Palestinian envoy said here Saturday. Full story
GAZA, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Israeli soldiers and Gaza
militants exchanged fire in northern and eastern Gaza Strip on Saturday night,
Gaza ruler Hamas said.
The movement said in a statement that heavy exchange of
fire and armed clashes took place between Gaza militants and Israeli ground
forces which launched ground incursions into the densely populated enclave on
Saturday night. Full story
JERUSALEM, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
operation against Palestinian militants in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip will
be neither short nor easy, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Saturday evening.
Barak made the remarks while addressing the nation in a
special televised press conference following the launch of the IDF ground
incursion. Full story
