Cast Lead: Summary of Today’s Events

Posted on January 11, 2009 by idfspokesperson

Over 40 armed gunmen were neutralized by IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip over the past day. Ground forces clashed with gunmen in various incidents throughout the day. In several cases, ground forces directed the Air Force in targeting armed operatives who were firing at them. Meanwhile, paratrooper forces uncovered weaponry, camouflage uniforms and communications equipment during searches.

“We continue to face an insane reality of booby-trapped tunnels and booby-trapped schools. In one neighborhood of 150 homes, over 30 homes were found to be rigged with explosives,” IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Avi Benayahu said. “Hamas is booby-trapping every home that is abandoned by its residents.”

Armored forces hit various weapons storage facilities, some of them located in the homes of terror operatives. In one case, a tank squad identified a group of gunmen planting an explosive device, fired and confirmed hitting them.

The IAF targeted nearly 60 Hamas targets in Gaza throughout the day, including:

Over 20 smuggling tunnels along the Rafah border
Approximately 15 cells of armed gunmen
7 weapons production and storage facilities
Several rocket launching sites, including the launcher used to attack Be’er Sheva in the morning

Out of 20 missiles launched at Israel today, one directly hit a kindergarten in Ashdod and caused severe damage.

There were no IDF casualties in the fighting today.

Summary of Overnight Events, 11 Jan 2009, 08:24 IST

Posted on January 11, 2009 by idfspokesperson

DOTZ

January 11th, 2009

Summary of Overnight Events

Overnight, IDF forces, including infantry, tanks, combat engineers, artillery, and intelligence, continued to operate against Hamas terrorist infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip.

Ground forces were involved in a number of incidents in which several armed gunmen were hit.

In one of the incidents, forces identified a group of armed gunmen and directed aerial forces who attacked them. In a separate incident an IDF force in the northern Gaza Strip identified an armed gunman placing an explosive device and fired at him.

IAF aircraft attacked over 60 targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including the following:

A mosque in the city of Rafah used for storing weaponry such as machine guns and sophisticated anti air-craft missiles. The mosque was also used as a training camp and a gathering place for Hamas members.
10 weaponry storage facilities, some in houses of Hamas members.
10 squads of armed gunmen
9 tunnels used to smuggle weaponry in the Rafah area
3 launching areas
An under ground rocket launcher
The house of the Head of Hamas’ military wing, Ahmed Jabri
A Hamas police station

Summary of Today’s Events, 10 Jan 2009, 21:15 IST

Posted on January 10, 2009 by idfspokesperson

DOTZ

10 January 2009

Summary of Today’s Events

IDF forces, the Infantry Corps, Armored Corps, Combat Engineering Corps, Artillery Coprs, and Intelligence Corps, continue operating throughout the Gaza Strip with support from the Israel Air Force and the Israel Navy.

IDF forces operating in the northern Gaza Strip struck a number of armed Hamas operatives, including a would-be suicide bomber strapped with an explosive belt. Ground troops aided IAF aircraft identifying the location of several rocket launching squads and terror cells planting roadside bombs.

The IAF struck over 60 targets since the morning, including:

Two rocket launching squads near Jabaliya, shortly after they fired rockets towards the Ashdod region
Ten launching sites, several of which were hidden underground
Seven weapons smuggling tunnels
An anti-aircraft missile launcher
Approximately ten weapons storage and weapons manufacturing facilities
Two vehicles used to store and transport weaponry
Three Hamas outposts

In addition to this, Amir Mansi, the commander of the Hamas rocket launching program in the Gaza City area, was killed today by IDF fire in cooperation with the ISA. Mansi was the leading Hamas authority on the long range Grad missile launching program.

Seven soldiers were lightly wounded in separate incidents.

The IDF will continue to operate against the Hamas terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip according to its operational plans in order to reduce the rocket fire on the south of Israel.

Senior Hamas Commander Killed, 10 Jan 2009, 17:45 IST

Posted on January 10, 2009 by idfspokesperson

DOTZ

January 10^th, 2009

Senior Hamas Commander Killed in Gaza Operation

Amir Mansi, the commander of the Hamas rocket launching program in the Gaza City area, was killed today by IDF fire with assistance of the ISA. Mansi was also the leading Hamas authority with regard to the long range Grad missile launching program.

Amongst other activities Mansi directed and actively fired dozens of rockets at Israel, killing and wounding Israeli civilians. Mansi was spotted firing a rocket in the Jabel Rise area during a ground force operation today. The forces opened fire, killing Mansi and injuring two additional terror operatives.

Summary of Overnight Operations, 10 Jan 2009, 08:40 IST

Posted on January 10, 2009 by idfspokesperson

DOTZ

Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 8:40 AM
Summary of IDF Operations Overnight

IDF Infantry Corps, Armored Corps, Engineering Corps, Artillery Corps and Intelligence Corps forces continued to operate during the night against Hamas terrorist infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip.

IDF Ground Forces were involved in a number of incidents in which several armed Hamas operatives were hit. In one of the incidents, snipers opened fire at IDF forces which returned the fire and identified hitting the gunmen. In a separate incident mortar shells were fired at an IDF forces, the force responded with gunfire and targeted the squad of five terror operatives with the support of the IAF.

The IAF attacked over 40 targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including the following:

Ten rocket launching sites
One anti-aircraft missile launcher
Fourteen weapon manufacturing and storage facilities
Five weapons smuggling tunnels
A number of armed gunmen

Ground Forces reported about 15 terrorists hit in exchanges of fire.

The Israel Navy continued supporting the Ground Forces throughout the night.

A mortar shell was fired into Israel during the night.

Five IDF soldiers were lightly wounded in the overnight fighting.

Hamas Rockets During Cease-Fire and From Schoolyard 8 Jan. 09, 23:26 IST

Posted on January 10, 2009 by idfspokesperson

Hamas launches rockets from civilian areas and rocket fire during the humanitarian cease-fire on 8 Jan. 2008. At time track 1:09 we see Hamas militants launching rockets during the humanitarian cease-fire in the afternoon. In both cases, the Israel Air Force destroyed the terrorist positions in precision strikes.

Summary of Today’s Events, 9 Jan 2009, 23:03 IST

Posted on January 9, 2009 by idfspokesperson

DOTZ

9 January 2009

Summary of Today’s Events

IDF Infantry Corps, Armored Corps, Engineering Corps, Artillery Corps and Intelligence Corps forces continue to operate throughout the Gaza Strip with the support of the Israel Air Force and the Israel Navy.

Throughout Friday (Jan. 9) IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip hit armed terror operatives in different incidents. An IDF ground force located a house rigged with land mines. Another force identified anti-tank missiles being fired at them, answered with precise fire and identified hitting the terror operatives having fired the missiles. In addition, a house used by the terrorists who shot and killed Sergeant Amit Robinson on Thursday (Jan. 8 ) was targeted by IDF forces.

The IAF attacked over 70 targets since the morning, including:

Fifteen rocket launching sites
A charged launcher
A number of launching squads that launched rockets to Ashkelon earlier during the day
Three houses of Hamas terror operatives also used as weapons storage facilities
Two tunnels used for the smuggling of weaponry
Twenty terrorist sites targeted to support the Ground Forces
A disguised mortar shell
Twenty terror operatives
Four weapons storage facilities
A vehicle with armed terror operatives

IN forces hit at least ten armed terror operatives during Thursday night’s ( Jan. 8 ) operation. They continued giving support to the Ground Forces throughout the night.

An IDF soldier was moderately wounded and two additional soldiers were lightly wounded during the day.

More than thirty rockets were fired at Israel throughout the day.

Forty one trucks loaded with humanitarian aid were transferred into the Gaza Strip.

Captured Hamas Intelligence, 9 Jan 2009, 16:26 IST

Posted on January 9, 2009 by idfspokesperson

Confiscated Intelligence Map from Hamas

Hamas turn a Gaza neighborhood into a warzone.

This map, confiscated Wednesday (Jan. 7) by IDF paratroopers operating in the north of Gaza, shows how Hamas uses an entire neighborhood, rigging it with explosive devices and putting the entire civilian population at great risk. The map shows the al-Tatraa neighborhood in Gaza City divided into three areas of operation (red, blue and green). The dots on the map indicate where Hamas operatives had planted a variety of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), with the colors indicating the type of IED. Additional marks show sniper positions next to mosques. Next to the entrance of the el-Tawid mosque near to Shauuda Plaza at the top left of the map there is a sniper posting with marking indicating the direction of fire marked on the map. At the bottom center of the map there is a gas station where Hamas planted an IED which, if activated, could cause a very large explosion throughout the neighborhood.

An overall study of the map demonstrates how Hamas deliberately uses civilians, using them as live targets and hiding behind them; they plant IEDs at the enterances of homes, they booby trap homes and they use places of worship, all with no regard to collateral damage or civilian lives.

IDF Map of Rocket Ranges 9 Jan 2009

Posted on January 9, 2009 by idfspokesperson

rocketrangesmap A map showing the ranges of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. The grey area refers to mortar shells, the yellow to kassam rockets, the orange improvised kassam rockets and Grade missiles, the red area refers to the range of upgraded Grade missiles. In total, nearly one million civilians living in the south of Israel are in danger from Hamas rocket fire.

Summary of Overnight Operations, 9 Jan 2009, 07:54 IST

Posted on January 9, 2009 by idfspokesperson

Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 7:54 AM

Summary of IDF Operations Overnight

In the last half hour four Grad rockets hit the Beer Sheva region.

IDF Infantry Corps, Armored Corps, Engineering Corps, Artillery Corps and Intelligence Corps forces continued to operate against Hamas terrorist infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip during the night.

Humanitarian aid is expected to be transferred into Gaza via Kerem Shalom Crossing today. Yesterday Israel transferred 89 humanitarian aid trucks to Gaza via Kerem Shalom Crossing. 315,000 liters of fuel and 143 tons of natural gas were transferred through Nahal Oz Terminal, and 223 Gazan foreign nationals were permitted entry to Israel following requests from their respective governments.

The IAF attacked more than 50 terrorist infrastructure sites throughout the night, including the following:

Five rocket launching sites, one of which next to a mosque
A weapons storage facility
A vehicle garage and an office, both used for terrorist operations
Five weapon manufacturing sites
Groups of armed gunmen
Hamas operational centers and outposts

The Israel Navy operated in the area of Deir El Balah in the central Gaza Strip, targeting Hamas rocket launching sites in order to thwart attempts to fire rockets at Israeli communities.

The IDF will continue its operations against all terrorists and those who support them.