A senior IDF officer estimated Saturday evening that more than 300 Hamas gunmen have been killed over the week that has passed since the ground phase of Operation Cast Lead began.
Since Saturday morning, forces from the IDF's different corps - Infantry, Armored, Engineering, Artillery and Intelligence – continued their activities in Gaza with the aid of the Air Force and Navy.
Golani Brigade forces shot a terrorist dead in northern Gaza and upon checking the body discovered that he had been wearing a suicide bomber's explosive vest. The forces also called in close air support against a terrorist cell which they had spotted in the act of planting explosive charges. In another incident, IAF attack helicopters shot terrorists who had been firing anti-tank missiles at Golani troops.
Paratrooper Brigade forces identified several rocket launches against Israel. They called in close air support against the launchers and directed it to the target. Givati Brigade troops hit a terrorist who was spotted laying an explosive charge in Gaza City.
IAF: 60 targets bombed
IAF aircraft have attacked 60 targets since the morning. These included two rocket-launching squads in the Jebalya area, which were hit a short time after they fired rockets at Ashdod; 10 launch points, including underground ones; 7 tunnels; a mined road; an anti-aircraft position; about 10 locations for manufacturing and storing weapons; two vehicles which stored weapons; three Hamas positions and dozens of other attacks called in by ground troops.
Seven IDF soldiers were lightly hurt during the fighting Saturday. All but one have been released from the hospital.