Government officials authorized the "limited operation" aimed at a “terrorist infrastructures” late Tuesday and early Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. IAF helicopters and planes circled overhead as IDF troops faced off against PA terrorists in the Shakaiyeh neighborhood of Gaza City. Terrorists warned civilians to leave the area.
According to MSNBC, IAF planes fired five missiles at the power station located south of Gaza City, plunging more than half of the Gaza Strip into darkness. Bridges linking North and South Gaza were also hit and destroyed, "in order to impair the ability of the terrorists to transfer the kidnapped soldier," according to a statement by IDF officials.
Israeli troops have been massing at the border with Gaza since Sunday, when three terrorist organizations tunneled their way under the security fence and attacked an IDF outpost at the Kerem Shalom border crossing. Two IDF soldiers were killed in Sunday’s attack, four more were injured and 19-year-old Corporal Gilad Shalit was captured by enemy forces.
The limited operation in the early hours of Wednesday morning was given the green light by government officials after it became clear that all diplomatic efforts to secure Shalit’s release had failed.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz warned earlier in the day at a ceremony at Latrun that “The clock is ticking regarding the soldier’s return. The IDF is prepared and willing to act.”
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told reporters that Israel needed to be focused on the goal of bringing the hostage home. “We are ready for a long and assertive operation,” said Olmert. “We will fight terror and we won’t negotiate with the kidnappers,” he told a meeting of the Knesset.
The IAF air strike on the bridge was carried out in order to prevent the terrorists from taking Shalit over the span leading out of Gaza and across the border into Egyptian territory. The ultimate goal of the operation is to rescue Shalit. Egyptian officials said their government has deployed 2,500 extra troops along the Gaza-Egypt border in order to prevent Gaza Arabs from pouring into Egypt.
Diplomatic efforts to negotiate the safe return of the soldier to Israel continued despite the escalation. Government officials worked together with diplomatic personnel from the international community to continue efforts to persuade the terror groups to let Shalit go.
The three organizations involved in planning and executing the Sunday operation were the Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and the Army of Islam, a new splinter group. All three are linked to Hamas, which was elected in January in a landslide vote by the PA population to lead their new government.
According to MSNBC, IAF planes fired five missiles at the power station located south of Gaza City, plunging more than half of the Gaza Strip into darkness. Bridges linking North and South Gaza were also hit and destroyed, "in order to impair the ability of the terrorists to transfer the kidnapped soldier," according to a statement by IDF officials.
Israeli troops have been massing at the border with Gaza since Sunday, when three terrorist organizations tunneled their way under the security fence and attacked an IDF outpost at the Kerem Shalom border crossing. Two IDF soldiers were killed in Sunday’s attack, four more were injured and 19-year-old Corporal Gilad Shalit was captured by enemy forces.
The limited operation in the early hours of Wednesday morning was given the green light by government officials after it became clear that all diplomatic efforts to secure Shalit’s release had failed.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz warned earlier in the day at a ceremony at Latrun that “The clock is ticking regarding the soldier’s return. The IDF is prepared and willing to act.”
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told reporters that Israel needed to be focused on the goal of bringing the hostage home. “We are ready for a long and assertive operation,” said Olmert. “We will fight terror and we won’t negotiate with the kidnappers,” he told a meeting of the Knesset.
The IAF air strike on the bridge was carried out in order to prevent the terrorists from taking Shalit over the span leading out of Gaza and across the border into Egyptian territory. The ultimate goal of the operation is to rescue Shalit. Egyptian officials said their government has deployed 2,500 extra troops along the Gaza-Egypt border in order to prevent Gaza Arabs from pouring into Egypt.
Diplomatic efforts to negotiate the safe return of the soldier to Israel continued despite the escalation. Government officials worked together with diplomatic personnel from the international community to continue efforts to persuade the terror groups to let Shalit go.
The three organizations involved in planning and executing the Sunday operation were the Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and the Army of Islam, a new splinter group. All three are linked to Hamas, which was elected in January in a landslide vote by the PA population to lead their new government.