Thirteen soldiers were wounded in Gaza during the Sabbath, but even those who suffered serious injuries are improving. Dvir Bar Chai, the son of Hevron Hills regional chairman Tzviki Bar Chai, also is reported to be on the road to recovery although he remains in critical condition.
Four soldiers were seriously wounded on the Sabbath, but two of them already have been taken off the "serious" list and are listed in moderate condition. Five of the troops were hit by an anti-tank missile, and four soldiers were hit by friendly fire in Gaza City.
The IDF continued its Cast Lead counterterrorist campaign in Gaza, striking 100 smuggling tunnels and 20 other targets as Hamas again resorted to using suicide bombers to try to foil the IDF. Forty terrorists were killed, and soldiers uncovered another house rigged with explosives, and sappers detonated the building.
Soldiers operating in northern Gaza on Saturday identified two armed gunmen hiding in a residential building and targeted them with tank fire. In a subsequent sweep of the building troops uncovered a stockpile of ammunition, including an explosive belt, grenades and other weapons. The troops carried out a controlled detonation of the explosives.
In a second incident in northern Gaza, troops identified a gunman armed with an anti-tank missile, and relayed his position to the IAF, which carried out a precision strike.