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An Israeli soldier walks between tank near Kibbutz Mefalsim, in southern Israel, on the outskirts of the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Israeli soldiers are massing along the Gaza border in preparation for a possible ground offensive if the Palestinian Authority does not curb terrorists, who have been barraging Israeli targets with rockets and mortar rounds for several days. (AP)
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| July 18, 2005 |
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As some 20,000 members of the security forces gear up to topple a 100,000-member strong anti-pullout protest, thousands of IDF soldiers wait with baited breath along the Israel-Gaza border, for an order to launch a broad offensive into the Gaza Strip to prevent Palestinian terrorists from continuing to fire at Israeli targets.
Yesterday, PM Ariel Sharon gave PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas 24 hours to stop the terror. Since then, Hamas fired another barrage of mortars and rockets at Israeli targets. No injuries were reported, but damage was done to a factory in the southern town of Sderot late last night. And time is running out.
As mortars and rockets continued to fall in and around Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told his Cabinet on Sunday that he has unleashed his military. "I spoke to the heads of the defense establishment," he said, "and informed them that there are to be no restraints on our operations."
The Palestinian leader pledged Sunday to do his best to prevent the rocket fire.
Speaking to Palestinian reporters at his Gaza office on Sunday, Abbas said U.S. officials had told him of Israel's intention to invade, warning, "If this happens, this will sabotage everything," and charging that Israel might be looking for an excuse to delay next month's pullout from Gaza.
Abbas told reporters at his Gaza headquarters Sunday evening, "We are going to do our utmost to stop these rockets." However, he said, he did not know how long it would take.
The Palestinian leader blamed Israel for the tension. "Israel does not want peace or security, but we don't want to be dragged to their playground," he said. "Maybe they are looking for an excuse to delay the withdrawal."
Sharon has pledged not to pull out under fire -- clarifying that he would stop the fire, not the withdrawal.
In the meantime, Israeli soldiers killed a Hamas leader and Palestinian infiltrator on Sunday, and the Israeli air force fired on a car in northern Gaza, wounding a bystander. The military said it targeted terrorists on their way to firing rockets, but missed.
Two Israelis were seriously wounded in a Palestinian mortar strike on a Gaza settlement.
The AP contributed to this report.
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