Israel continued to mass thousands of soldiers at the Gaza border yesterday as fighting threatened to mushroom into an all-out ground war by the end of the weekend.
The offensive against Hamas broadened, as troops, tanks and other armored vehicles gathered close to Gaza while Israeli forces shut down the main roads in the area and declared it a “closed military zone.”
As 20,000 troops waited at the Gaza border for orders to invade, elite Israeli soldiers were already inside the territory on a search-and-destroy mission meant to eliminate the long-range missiles being fired farther and farther into Israel.
EPA
TARGET: HAMAS: Israeli bombing creates a fireball yesterday in Gaza City, one of 300 airstrikes that Israelis carried out in one day against the rebellious territory.
Reuters
ARMED AND DANGEROUS: Israeli soldiers at a base in Hebron, West Bank, hold a drill yesterday in preparation for a possible ground invasion of Gaza as tensions escalate.
The special forces — Israel’s Paratroopers Brigade — have been searching for rockets and launchers believed to be hidden underground by Hamas.
Israel continued its operations early today as rocket-fire from Hamas ceased and Egyptian-led peace talks continued. But Israel is reluctant to let up without signs a truce would hold.
A ground attack could be headed by the paratroopers, who would be backed up by the Golani infantry brigade as well as two tank brigades.
Increasing movement towards a ground offensive comes as Israel conducted more than 300 airstrikes yesterday. The airstrikes have taken out the headquarters of Hamas’ prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, as well as underground tunnels in southern Gaza and much of the electrical grid.
Nearly 50 people have died and hundreds have been injured in the worst violence between Israel and Gaza since 2008, when 1,300 people were killed.
The current round of violence has been brewing for weeks, since a Nov. 5 incident in which a mentally ill Palestinian man was allegedly shot dead as he approached the Israeli border.
Hamas’ offensive earlier this week stunned Israeli officials with a first-ever missile strike at Jerusalem, demonstrating its willingness — and ability — to use long-range missiles. Overall, Israel has been hit by more than 500 rockets, including at least three fired from an area in Egypt controlled by jihadist groups, according to the Ma’an News Agency.
The Arab world, led by Mohamed Morsi — the hard-line Muslim Brotherhood leader and Egyptian president — has rallied around Hamas and scrambled to get a cease-fire in place. The Obama administration has backed Israel’s offensive, saying the country has a right to defend itself.
In other developments:
* Hamas’ military wing has executed two Palestinians for allegedly giving sensitive information to Israel.
*Forty-six Palestinians have been killed this week, including 15 civilians, Palestinian medical officials said, while more than 400 civilians have been wounded. Three Israelis have been killed and at least 50 injured in the fighting.
*Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan praised Morsi for recalling Egypt’s ambassador from Israel, a move intended to protest Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
*Support for Hamas in the Middle East has grown throughout the latest conflict, with the Arab League planning to send a group of foreign ministers to Gaza in the next few days.
*Meanwhile, Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem showed his support for Hamas with a visit to Gaza yesterday in which he condemned Israel’s actions.
*Ben Rhodes, the US deputy national security adviser, said America continues to stand by its closest ally in the region.
“The precipitating factor for the conflict was the rocket fire coming out of Gaza. We believe Israel has a right to defend itself, and they’ll make their own decisions about the tactics they use in that regard . . . Israelis have endured far too much of a threat from these rockets for far too long.”
kboniello@nypost.com
Israel-Gaza conflict grows as ground invasion looms
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Israel-Gaza conflict grows as ground invasion looms
