GAZA CITY: Israeli tanks rolled into the Gaza Strip on Saturday night, widening its war on Palestinians.
Hamas, which rules the territory, said it had killed “a group of Israeli soldiers” and vowed to make Gaza the graveyard for the troops of the Jewish state.
The group warned it would capture more Israeli soldiers. “There will be more friends for Shalit,” said a message on Hamas’ internal radio.
It was a reference to Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian fighters in a daring cross-border raid in June 2006. Shalit remains in captivity in Gaza.
Israeli Army spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich said the incursion will be an extensive operation and that “we have many, many targets.” Israeli security officials said the operation is likely to go on for several days, but that the objective is not to reoccupy Gaza.
Heavy gunbattles were reported as troops crossed the border into Gaza. Witnesses said Israeli tanks and infantry soldiers stayed close to the border area.
In a veiled warning to Hezbollah, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel was ready for any development on its border with Lebanon.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah urged Hamas to inflict huge losses on Israel. “Our brothers in the resistance in Palestine know that it is by inflicting the biggest possible losses on the Israeli enemy during the ground confrontation that they will win the battle,” Nasrallah said.
“It is when the resistance kills soldiers and destroys tanks that the course of the battle will be determined,” he added.
Israeli defense officials said some 10,000 troops, including tanks, artillery and special operations units, were massed on the Gaza border.
The Bush administration gave Israel free rein over whether to send ground troops into Gaza, despite growing criticism over its handling of a conflict that has killed at least 460 Palestinians and left 2,290 wounded in a weeklong offensive. At least 77 of those killed have been children.
When asked if Israel was justified in launching a ground assault, a White House spokesman said it was a decision for the Israelis to make.
Earlier yesterday, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a mosque during Maghreb prayers in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, killing at least 13 worshippers and wounding 60. Two brothers, 10 and 12 years old, were among the dead in the attack on the Ibrahim Al-Maqadna Mosque, medics said. More than 200 people were praying in the mosque when it was struck, witnesses said.
The Israeli Air Force staged more than 40 air raids yesterday across the densely populated territory. Among those killed was Mohammad Al-Jammal, who Gaza sources said was a Hamas military commander. Israel said he was responsible “for the entire rocket launching enterprise in all of Gaza City.” Another missile hit a car near the southern city of Khan Younis, killing two men, including Mohammed Ma’aruf, senior Hamas military commander in southern Gaza, according to medics and security sources.
Their deaths came only two days after an air raid killed top Hamas leader Nizar Rayan.
— With input from agencies
