11 Palestinians died and dozens were wounded as Israeli forced launched a major operation in the troubled region.
"Five of the dead were Palestinian security force personnel and four others were gunmen," said the well informed International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ). Some were reportedly killed by fire from from attack helicopters, which according to Israel Radio backed a force of 40 tanks that moved into the Gaza Strip town of Shajaiyeh.
Reporters also said that two more Palestinians died in the town of Samaria Wednesday, February 19, in clashes with a contingent of Israeli troops entering the casbah in Nablus to destroy a home of an alleged terrorist suspected of killing two Israelis 7 months ago.
The Israeli military said the Gaza operation, that began late Tuesday, February 18, was aimed at what it called "terrorist infrastructure," after the Hamas group claimed a weekend explosion which destroyed an Israeli tank, killing four soldiers.
SHOPS DESTROYED
It added troops destroyed several workshops used for manufacturing weapons and exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen. Damage was also reported to a nearby Hamas-run school and electric lines in the area.
"Mosque loud-speakers were used to urge local residents to resist the Israeli forces. Many poured into the dark streets to fight with guns, grenades and home-made rockets, including one combatant armed with an explosives belt around his waist," said the ICEJ News Service.
Since Sunday, eight senior Hamas militiamen have been killed in the West Bank and Gaza, news reports said. Hamas also initially blamed Israel for the death of six of its operatives in a mysterious blast in Gaza on Sunday when they tested a drone packed with explosives.
"DEEPER OPERATION"
Col. Imad Faras said the "deeper operation" into Gaza City showed Israel’s willing to go after Hamas targets "in a place they thought, they believed, that we would not be able to get to."
The ICEJ News Service quoted Hamas spokesman Abdel Aziz Rantisi as warning Israeli leaders that Gaza would be "the graveyard for their soldiers." He said Hamas would "continue our holy war to liberate this land," referring to all of Israel, the ICEJ reported.
Making its point, Hamas reportedly fired four Kassam rockets at Sderot, inside Israel, seriously wounding one civilian, news reports said.
However analysts say that some Palestinian Authority officials may privately welcome Israeli army attempts to at least weaken Hamas over fear to lose control of Gaza to the militant organization. Hamas has recently suggested that it only wants to cooperate with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat if he more openly supports its efforts to destroy Israel.
