IAF missiles ready for air strikes in Gaza.
IAF missiles ready for air strikes in Gaza.

The ruins of the Israeli town of Dugit, destroyed by Israel in the 2005 Disengagement, were the scene of a minor skirmish between Palestinian Authority terrorists and IDF soldiers operating in northern Gaza Wednesday night, leaving two troops lightly injured. Both were taken to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.

Over the past few days, soldiers from the IDF's Givati Shaked Brigade have re-entered the sites of several former Jewish towns in the Gush Katif region of Gaza. The soldiers have been carrying out operations among the ruins of Dugit, Nisanit and Elei Sinai in an effort to push back the Arab terrorists who have taken over the area.

A number of terrorist training camps have been built on the ruins of the communities destroyed by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in his 2005 Disengagement from Gaza.

Israel Air Force fighter pilots also struck back at Palestinian Authority terrorists over the Shavuot (Festival of Weeks) holiday in retaliation for the ongoing rocket attacks on the western Negev, destroying two weapons storage facilities in Gaza City.  Five rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza on Wednesday. The first, fired at Sderot on Wednesday morning, landed on the outskirts of the city, damaging nothing and hurting no one.

Four more rockets were launched at the western Negev Wednesday evening. One slammed into a horse stable in Kibbutz Nir Am, and killed a pregnant mare. Three others landed in and around Sderot, sending a woman into shock. No damage was reported. At least 13 rockets were fired at Israel on Tuesday.

On Tuesday afternoon, prior to the beginning of the holiday, Israeli aircraft fired at two Hamas terrorist training centers in northern Gaza and destroyed the group’s Executive Force operations center in the process.



According to an IDF spokesman, air strikes also were carried out during the day against two other terrorist targets, both in central Gaza. The spokesman did not comment on casualties.



IAF helicopter gun ships fired at a rocket launch site at the onset of the holiday Tuesday evening. IDF officials confirmed the strike but did not comment on whether or not anyone had been injured. PA sources claimed three people were wounded but declined to say whether they were attacked while launching rockets at Israel.



Ground troops briefly moved into northern Gaza overnight for the first time Tuesday, detaining seven PA Arabs just outside the town of Khan Younis. They were released a short time later.



Ground operations in Gaza have been rare since more than 8,000 Jews were expelled from their homes in the Gush Katif region in August 2005. Those military activities carried out since then have been limited in scope and duration.



In the six months since the agreed-upon ceasefire was signed with the PA on November 26, 2006 the IDF has not entered Gaza at all, despite more than 400 rocket attacks launched at Israel after that date.