Will The IDF Security Zone Be Enough To Stop The Rockets And Terror Tunnels?

IDF quietly carves out 1-3km security strip while pulling troops out of Gaza. A humanitarian truce declared

Author(s):  DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis
Source:  DEBKAfile.     Article date: August 4th, 2014

After withdrawing the bulk of its ground troops from the Gaza Strip in a “new phase” of its counter-terror operation, Israel declared a unilateral humanitarian ceasefire for seven hours starting 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 4 to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid and for displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. Eastern Rafah was not included. The IDF would respond to any attacks during that time.

But on the quiet, the IDF was on the process of conducting a major strategic operation, carving out a buffer strip or cordon sanitaire just inside the Gaza border, designed to be controlled from outside by special forces and armored units on round-the-clock alert, to bar hostile infiltrations. They are equipped with a battery of firing posts, sensors and drones.

This sterile strip runs 65km from Beit Hanoun in the north to Khan Younis in the south, roughly following one of Gaza’s only motorways, Highway 6 (see map).

All the territory east of this line up to the Israeli border has been cleared of buildings and vegetation to a depth of 1 km in the north and center of Gaza and 2-3 km deep in such areas as Khan Younis.

These dimensions were calculated to reduce Palestinian rocket fire against Israel’s southern communities, and deter Hamas from planning new tunnels.

The Israel troops pulled out of Gaza are redeploying in a new formation as a “breakthrough force” – able to cross back into Gaza for rapid response operations if necessary. It is made up of large armored units, special operations contingents and air force, and is highly mechanized rather than fielding soldiers on foot. This force is capable of raids that penetrate deeper into the territory than ventured by the IDF in the first 27 days of Operation Defensive Edge.

For the new phase of its operation, the Netanyahu government has determined to have no truck with the Hamas terrorists and, irrespective of its demands and terms for a ceasefire, to act on its own initiative in accordance with Israel’s own security needs.  This policy has impacted on the Gaza truce negotiations which go into their second day in Cairo Monday. Their participants cannot avoid appreciating that Israel has followed its own operational plans for redeployment outside the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, military experts warn that the new military formation opens up the prospect of a prolonged war of attrition. Hamas and Islamic Jihad are keeping up their rocket and mortar fire on Israel – up to 140 Sunday alone.
After a quiet night, the first rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome over Ashdod and Ashkelon at 6:30 a.m. Monday.

The threat of “synchronized” terror attacks through still undiscovered tunnels has been sharply reduced by the massive IDF effort to disable the network – but there is no guarantee that all of the tunnels have been discovered, or that new ones are not being burrowed under the border.

Saturday night, three dusty motorcycles were pulled out of the 3-km long Rafah tunnel through which suicide bombers surprised and killed three Givati officers Thursday 90 minutes into an international ceasefire. They were intended for use by six terrorists for a raid or raids far from the immediate environs of the Gaza border.

So Hamas still holds the advantage of nasty surprise.

First Israeli Soldier Captured By Hamas. UN Facilities Used As Terror Tunnel Entrances.

Hamas Violates 72-Hour Ceasefire After Just 90 Minutes

by
BRYAN PRESTON

Bio

August 1, 2014 - 6:38 am

 

Overnight there was another humanitarian cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, and Hamas broke it with about 70.5 hours still on the clock.

A Hamas attack on IDF soldiers in southern Gaza, which occurred an hour and a half after the start of a humanitarian truce, ended with the suspected kidnapping of a soldier, the IDF said Friday.

Second Lt. Hadar Goldin, a 23-year-old Givati officer from Kfar Saba, was named as the IDF soldier presumed to be abducted by Hamas. His family has been notified.

Two other soldiers were killed during the incident.Their families have been notified.

Terrorists emerged from a tunnel shaft, and a suicide bomber detonated himself in the vicinity of soldiers. Heavy exchanges of fire ensued, before one of the IDF soldiers was kidnapped, a senior army source said.

If previous cases are any guide, Hamas will either trade Goldin for dozens to hundreds of its own jailed terrorists, or Hamas will murder him.

Hamas used one of the tunnels that it built with child laborto perpetrate this attack. The Israelis say that they have discovered 35 such tunnels, and have destroyed about half of them.

Some of the tunnels reportedly have entrances inside UN facilities, so American taxpayers paid indirectly for Hamas to build these tunnels in two ways — by paying aid to the Palestinians that gets diverted by Hamas, and by paying for the UN’s upkeep.

h/t Gateway Pundit

Latest 72 Hour Ceasefire Ends In 4 Hours As Gaza Rockets Hurtle Toward Israel

72-Hour Ceasefire Collapses Following Continued Rocket Fire

By Lea Speyer August 1, 2014 , 9:46 am

79 17

0 0Email 99Share

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” (Proverbs 11:3)

Israeli soldiers seen on tanks at an IDF staging area near the Israeli border with Gaza, on July 31, 2014. Israel mobilised an additional 16,000 reservists today as Operation “Protective Edge” entered its 24th day. (Photo: Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

Israel and Hamas both agreed to a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire, brokered by the United States and United Nations, only to collapse completely four hours later.

The ceasefire, which began 8:00 a.m. Friday morning, was meant to allow time for both Israel and Hamas to negotiate a permanent truce as Operation Protective Edge enters its 24th day.

Two hours after the ceasefire began, sirens sounded along the border with Gaza, warning of an incoming rocket attack. Following several hours of continued rocket fire into southern Israel and heavy clashes within Gaza, Israel informed the UN envoy in charge of the truce was over.

Minutes before the ceasefire took effect, terrorists in Gaza unleashed a bombardment of rockets towards the coastal city of Ashdod. The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted six rockets while three others exploded in open areas.

Rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, July 16, 2014. (Photo: IDF)

The announcement came just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel will destroy Hamas’s terror tunnel infrastructure, “with or without a ceasefire.”

Previous ceasefire agreements between Israel and Hamas have failed when terrorists operating in the Gaza Strip continued to fire rockets into Israel. In a statement released by US Secretary of State John Kerry, the secretary said that both the US and UN have received assurances from both parties that they will abide to an unconditional ceasefire.

The ceasefire “will last for a period of 72 hours unless extended. During this time forces on the ground will remain in place,” the statement said.

“We urge all parties to act with restraint until this humanitarian ceasefire begins, and to fully abide by their commitment during the ceasefire.”

The statement confirmed that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators “will immediately be going to Cairo for negotiations with the Government of Egypt, at the invitation of Egypt, aimed at reaching a durable ceasefire. The parties will be able to raise all issues of concern in these negotiations.”

The main impetus behind the ceasefire was to give residents of Gaza time to recoup from the conflict being waged there. During the 72-hour period, Gazans were to receive humanitarian relief, have time to bury their dead, restock food, and repair Gaza’s damaged water and energy infrastructure.

“Israel will be able to continue its defensive operations for those tunnels that are behind its lines, and the Palestinians will be able to receive food, medicine and additional humanitarian assistance as well as to be able to tend to their wounded,” Kerry later stated.

IDF soldier seen entering a Hamas terror tunnel. (Photo: IDF)

On Thursday, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved the call up of an additional 16,000 reservists to the border with Gaza. On July 17, Israel widened its operations in Gaza from aerial targeted strikes to a ground offensive.

Since that time, the IDF has been focused on dismantling terror tunnels that are used to carry out cross border attacks. Some 32 tunnels have been uncovered by the IDF, majority of them having already been demolished.

Overnight Thursday and into the early Friday morning hours, the IDF attacked over 120 terror targets in the Gaza Strip. Targets included Hamas rocket launchers used to fire upon Israeli naval forces off the coast and terror tunnels. Several Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives were apprehended.

Terrorists in the Gaza Strip have fired more than 2,850 rockets at Israel. On Thursday alone, 100 rockets were fired upon Israeli cities. Those rockets aimed at major cities, such as Tel Aviv, Ashkelon and Jerusalem, have been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

As of Friday morning, 61 IDF soldiers have been killed since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge. 139 soldiers are being treated for injuries across Israel in stable to life threatening conditions.

Should Israel Comply With US Pressure For Ceasefire? We Think NOT, The Job Of Rooting Out Hamas Is NOT Done!

Obama: Israel Must Institute “Immediate, Unconditional Ceasefire”

By Lea Speyer July 28, 2014 , 11:28 am

249 5

0 0Email 274Share

“Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Proverbs 26:12)

US President Barack Obama called on Netanyahu to end all hostilities in Gaza, condition free. (Photo: The Official White House Photostream/Wikimedia Commons)

US President Barack Obama has called on Israel to maintain an immediate, condition free humanitarian ceasefire with Gaza with a final goal of permanently ending all hostilities.

In a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Sunday, Obama affirmed Israel’s right to self-defense and called for terror groups in Gaza to disarm.

“The President made clear the strategic imperative of instituting an immediate, unconditional humanitarian ceasefire that ends hostilities now and leads to a permanent cessation of hostilities based on the November 2012 ceasefire agreement,” the White House said in a statement.

Hamas urges civilians, including children, to stand on the roof of a target where the IDF has warned of an impending strike.

“The President affirmed the United States’ support for Egypt’s initiative, as well as regional and international coordination to end hostilities,” the statement added.

Obama reiterated his administrations “strong condemnation” of Hamas’s actions but said that there needs to be “a sustainable ceasefire that both allows Palestinians in Gaza to lead normal lives and addressed Gaza’s long-term development and economic need, while strengthening the Palestinian Authority.”

It is the president’s belief that “any lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must ensure the disarmament of terrorist groups and the demilitarization of Gaza.”

The president expressed his “serious and growing concern” over the increasing number of Palestinian casualties in Gaza, “as well as the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

Hamas officials have already dismissed Obama’s call for a ceasefire. Senior Hamas member Izzat Al-Rishq posted on his Facebook, “We say for the millionth time. Those who try to take our weapons, we will take their lives.”

The president’s call comes at a precarious time in US-brokered ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel. US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is in the Middle East as part of negotiations efforts, pushed forth a proposal this past week that is being called one-sided, favoring Hamas.

Kerry, who met with mediators from Qatar and Turkey and are negotiating on behalf of Hamas, had a majority of their demands included in Kerry’s proposal. Kerry’s proposal touched upon three main issues: reconstruction of Gaza, border crossings and finances.

The proposal asked that all border crossings into Gaza be opened to allow the free flow of goods and people. Kerry asked that money be transferred to Hamas to pay the salaries of civil servants in Gaza. In terms of reconstruction, the secretary proposed a budget to “meet the welfare needs of Gaza.”

Regarding Israel’s demands, Kerry’s proposal includes a short mention addressing “Israel’s security needs.” Many critics of the proposal are saying Kerry was too generous with Hamas’s demands. Israel’s Security Cabinet unanimously rejected Kerry’s proposal on Friday night.

Voices from Israel’s left and right have expressed their concerns over the United States’ interference. MK Ze;ev Elkin, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, rejected Obama’s calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, July 16, 2014. (Photo: IDF)

“The international pressure has begun,” he told Ynet. “When we once listened to the Americans and we allowed Hamas to participate in elections, Hamas took over Gaza and we received a terrorist entity. Hamas is a terrorist organization just like al-Qaeda, so there is no reason to talk about negotiations.”

Labor MK Nachman Shai told Channel 10 that “the United State imposed a ceasefire upon us too early” and that it would be hard for Israel to say not the US.

International pressure is also mounting on Israel from the United Nations. The UN Security Council convened Sunday evening and expressed “strong support” for an “immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza over the Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of Ramadan.

The Council also called upon Israel and Hamas “to engage in efforts to achieve a dirable and fully respected ceasefire, based on the Egyptian initiative.”

Over the last two weeks, Israel has agreed to several humanitarian ceasefires in Gaza to allow the residents there time to recuperate. However, Hamas has rejected each ceasefire and continued to rain down a barrage of rockets upon Israel, forcing the IDF to act.

While Israel has yet to officially recognize a ceasefire, Israeli officials hinted late Sunday that the army would scale down on its operation in Gaza over the three day Eid al-Fitr holiday, which starts Monday. However, officials made clear that they would act in response to ongoing rocket fire or to foil terror plots.

Hamas Continues Missile Attacks In Spite Of Humanitarian Ceasefire.

First Soldier Killed in Clashes in Gaza as IDF Expands Operations

By Lea Speyer July 18, 2014 , 9:54 am

8 1

5 0Email 24Share

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.” (Psalm 144:1)

Israeli Artillery Corps soldiers seen in a field near the border with Gaza in South Israel, on the fourth day of Operation Protective Edge, July 11, 2014. (Photo: Hadas Parush/Flash90)

The IDF has confirmed Friday that its first casualty since the start of Operation Protective Edge took place in the early morning hours as troops began a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF soldier, 20-year-old Eitan Barak from Herzliya, was critically injured during intense clashes near Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza at around 3:00 a.m Friday. He was pronounced dead at the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. His family has been notified of his passing.

Four IDF soldiers were also injured in the ground offensive with moderate to light injuries. Many of the injuries suffered thus far by the soldiers in Gaza have been to the face and neck, the IDF stated.

IDF Forces Entering Gaza

Thousands of IDF reservists have been called up to the Gaza border over the last week in anticipation of a ground attack to destroy the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. Late Thursday evening, at precisely 10:30 p.m., the IDF entered Gaza in a limited ground offensive aimed at destroying Hamas terror tunnels and end rocket fire into Israel.

Early Thursday morning, 13 Hamas terrorists were ambushed by IDF soldiers attempting to infiltrate Israel via the use of a terror tunnel. Reports indicate that eight of the terrorists were killed. All of the 13 terrorists were found to be carrying a wide variety of weaponry, including machine guns, assault rifles and shoulder-launching RPG missiles. It is believed that the terrorists were on their way to carry out a killing spree in a nearby kibbutz.

The army explained that the goal of the Gaza operation “is to establish a reality in which Israeli residents can live in safety without continued indiscriminate terror, while striking a significant blow to Hamas’ terror infrastructure.”

The decision to enter Gaza via a land, air and sea operation was approved Tuesday evening but not implemented until Thursday. Infantry, engineering, armored, artillery and intelligence troops are working closely with sea and air support in conjunction with the Shin Bet and other security forces.

On Thursday, Israel agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire which allowed a five hour window for Gaza residents to evacuate their homes and collect supplies. Despite the ceasefire, terrorists in the Strip continued to shoot a barrage of rockets upon Israel.

“In light of Hamas’ incessant criminal aggression and dangerous infiltration into Israeli territory, Israel must act to protect its citizens,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

IDF forces about to enter Gaza on July 17, 2014. (Photo: @LTCPeterLerner / Twitter)

“Operation Protective Edge will continue until it has achieved its purpose – restoring quiet to the citizens of Israel for an extended period, with significant damage to the infrastructure of Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip,” the statement added.

Hamas Chief Khaled Meshaal told AFP Friday from the safety of Qatar that Israel is bound to fail.

“What the occupier Israel failed to achieve through its air and sea raids, it will not be able to achieve with a ground offensive. It is bound to fail,” he stated from Doha.

Meshaal said Hamas has “clear demands” that it will not compromise on, including an end to “the aggression and collective punishment against our people in Gaza and in the West Bank, as well as the lifting of the Gaza siege.”

According to a summary released by the IDF of the first eight hours of the operation in Gaza, the IDF eliminated 15 terrorists and 103 terror targets, including 20 secretly buried rocket launchers.

Since the start of Operation Protective Edge, the IDF has destroyed more than 2,200 terror targets in Gaza. As of Friday, 48,000 reserve soldiers have been called up. An additional 18,000 reservists have been approved for duty by the Israeli cabinet late Thursday night.

Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/18506/first-soldier-killed-clashes-gaza-idf-expands-operations/#hhaPkPXLCZ8O6haz.99