GAZA CITY, 13 September 2007 — A day after a rocket fired by Palestinians injured dozens of Israeli soldiers at an army base, Israeli armored vehicles pushed into the central Gaza Strip yesterday, Palestinian sources said.
The Israeli Army confirmed some military activity near the border with the coastal enclave but declined to give details. Nineteen soldiers were still in hospital after a rocket hit a training camp for new conscripts on Tuesday.
The rocket attack raised pressure on Israel to crack down on the Hamas-controlled territory. One Gaza fighter warned the Jewish state against a major invasion, saying dozens of Palestinians were poised to blow themselves up in retaliation.
“There are dozens of would-be martyrs who are ready to strike the Zionist enemy everywhere,” said Abu Hamza, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad, which claimed joint responsibility for Tuesday’s rocket attack.
Meanwhile, Hamas said yesterday its security forces in Gaza have gone on high alert ahead of an anticipated large-scale Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory. Hamas said in a statement it had obtained “clear information” indicating that the “Zionist forces are preparing to launch a vast air, ground and sea offensive” in Gaza.
“Hamas calls on all its services and members to take the necessary precautions and go on the highest level of alert in order to repel the aggression,” the statement read. The Hamas movement also announced yesterday the release of 84 prisoners in the Gaza Strip on the eve of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The director of Gaza’s central prison, Ali Hamid, said at a press conference that the 84 prisoners had been sentenced in relation to criminal and security-related charges as well as disturbing the public order.
— With input from agencies
