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Barak asks cabinet to approve emergency call-up of 2,510 reservists By Amos Harel Defense Minister Ehud Barak asked the cabinet last night to approve the mobilization of an additional 2,510 reserve forces soldiers by means of an emergency call-up order (Tzav Shmoneh). If approved, they will join the 6,700 reservists whose mobilization the cabinet approved on Sunday. Barak apprised Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel of his decision in writing, and requested approval of the order from the cabinet by phone. The resolution will be submitted to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee within 48 hours, as required by law. The additional reservists will be deployed in the Home Front Command, the Border Police, the Navy, the Logistics Branch, Military Intelligence and Ground Forces headquarters. Advertisement The Home Front Command will begin training activities today in the communities that were only included in the rocket-strike range as of Monday, such as Gan Yavne, Yavne and Rehovot. Some reservists will be deployed to the liaison units working with local governments in these communities. Physicians and psychologists will be called up to assist local governments in the south with their emergency response programs. The head of the Israel Defense Force's Central Command, Yair Golan, is planning to introduce an experimental program that will divide the larger towns and cities in the area under attack into districts to facilitate the use of volunteers. He also wants to dispatch students in military academies to the south to aid the communities. The Central Command plans to focus its activities today on Ofakim, which was hit by Katyusha rockets yesterday for the first time. Military officials believe 2,000 rockets remain in terrorist organizations' arsenals, compared to nearly 3,000 last week. More than 200 rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip since Operation Cast Lead began. Hundreds more were destroyed in Israel Air Force sorties, as were rocket launchers. The same officials believe that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have a few dozen Katyusha rockets with a range of 40 kilometers, and a few hundred 20 kilometer rockets. Army officials are very concerned about the 120 kilometer Iranian-made mortar shells that are causing heavy damage in Gaza-area communities and IDF bases. The assumption is that some of the rockets fired in the past few days were aimed at Air Force bases in the south, although none have hit their mark. About one quarter of the rockets fired this week from Gaza hit populated areas, with the remainder falling in open areas. The IDF believes that about two thirds of Hamas' underground rocket launch sites in the northern Gaza Strip were destroyed in the first round of Air Force sorties, on Saturday. Additional bunkers were destroyed in the days that followed, after a way was found of striking them when civilians were not in the vicinity. The IDF has made frequent use of what is known as "knocking on the roof": Militants are warned by phone when a residential building used to store arms will be bombed, and told to vacate the premised together with their neighbors. The weapons caches are hit only after the residents leave. Hamas has tried placing civilians on the roofs of such buildings when the phone call warning comes in. In these cases, the IDF fired antitank missiles near the building, and in a few cases the residents left. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Israelis targeted abroad Gunman opens fire on Israelis working at shopping mall in Denmark. Iran silences dissent Newspaper forcibly shut down after article blaming Hamas for Gaza violence.

Read & React Gideon Levy: Are Israel's pilots callous and blind to Gaza's suffering? Responses: 296 Iran Jews stage pro-Palestinian rally near UN offices in Tehran Responses: 118 Israel decides to push on with Gaza op until 'all goals reached' Responses: 65 Gaza rocket strikes school in Be'er Sheva Responses: 86 ANALYSIS / Hamas winning battle of public opinion in Arab world Responses: 45 ANALYSIS / Rivalry among Israel's leaders at root of row on Gaza cease-fire Responses: 28 More Headlines 23:32 IAF bombs Gaza mosque being used as weapons storehouse 23:51 Haniyeh: Palestinian victory in Gaza is near 23:18 Israel decides to push on with Gaza op until 'all goals reached' 13:27 Get up to the minute coverage of the warfare in Gaza directly to your email 23:16 4 rockets hit south as 'special situation' status extended to 40 kilometers from Gaza border 00:26 U.S. counterterror expert: Hamas has adopted Hezbollah-like tactics in Gaza 20:39 Gunman opens fire on Israelis working at mall in Denmark 21:05 WATCH: YouTube pulls some IDF videos showing Gaza assault 19:51 IN PICTURES / Israel battles Hamas in Gaza: Day five 18:56 GIDEON LEVY / The IAF, bullies of the clear blue skies 19:15 White House: Hamas must cease rocket fire as first step to truce 22:34 Livni: We will not allow thugs to rule the Middle East 18:26 Report: Iranian newspaper closed over article sympathetic to Israel 19:23 JEWISH WORLD / Pro-Israel camp would be wise to heed Muslim cries for peace 12:05 ANALYSIS / Rivalry among Israel's leaders at root of row on Gaza cease-fire 16:55 Protests abound at T.A. and Haifa Universities; Be'er Sheva students flee Gaza rockets in droves 19:14 Shin Bet: Hamas has been hit by IAF's Gaza offensive like never before 21:02 Turkey, Syria call on Islamic nations to pressure Israel to end Gaza offensive 09:26 ANALYSIS / Hamas racks up its first diplomatic victory in Gaza campaign Previous Editions Select Day 31 dec 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec 23 dec 22 dec 21 dec 19 dec 18 dec

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