Haaretz: Israel launches ground operation in Gaza Strip

[laststeamtrain]

Israel launches ground operation in Gaza Strip
By Amos Harel, Yoav Stern and Yanir Yagana, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies

"The objective is to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations," said Israel Defense Forces Major Avital Leibovitch, a military spokeswoman, confirming that incursions were under way. "We are going to take some of the launch areas used by Hamas."

The IDF Spokesperson's office issued a statement, emphasizing that this stage of the operation will further the goals of the eight-day offensive as voiced by the IDF until now: To strike a direct and hard blow against the Hamas while increasing the deterrent strength of the IDF, in order to bring about an improved and more stable security situation for residents of Southern Israel over the long term.

Large numbers of forces are taking part in this stage of the operation including infantry, tanks, engineering forces, artillery and intelligence with the support of the Israel Air Force, Israel navy, the Shin Bet security service and other security agencies.

Meanwhile, the cabinet has authorized an emergency call up of tens of thousands of IDF reservists.

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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1052299.html

[tekisui]

1. Twitter reports have Hamas claiming to have killed some Israeli

soldiers. It is getting worse, very quickly. It will be long and bloody. A tragic mess.

[hlthe2b]

2. Only one word expresses it.....

FUCK...

Damn it all, we never learn, do we?