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Last update - 08:15 11/01/2009
IDF: Hamas men beginning to desert; army steps up Gaza op
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: Israel, Hamas, Israel News 

A senior Israeli military commander involved in Operation Cast Lead said on Saturday that Hamas militants are suffering from exhaustion and are deserting battle.

The commander told reporters that Amir Mansi, the commander of Hamas' rocket-launching program in the Gaza City area who was killed by the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday, fired mortars himself after junior Hamas operatives refused to go outside, fearing an Israeli strike.



The IDF official estimated that more than 300 Hamas operatives have been killed since Israel launched its ground offensive in Gaza one week ago.

This is the highest estimate provided thus far, and the IDF said that Hamas has purposely refrained from releasing casualty figures among its military wing.

The commander added that the army is working to tighten its grip on the northern section of the Gaza Strip.

The IDF earlier on Saturday killed Mansi, an expert with regard to long-range Grad rockets.

Mansi was identified by Israeli troops on Saturday firing mortars from Gaza. The soldiers opened fire, killing Mansi and injuring two Hamas operatives who were with him.

IAF warns Gazans that offensive will escalate

The Israel Air Force on Saturday dropped leaflets into the Gaza Strip warning residents that it plans to escalate its two-week-old offensive.

The army says it has dropped the fliers throughout Gaza. It says the notices are meant as a "general warning."

The notice says Israel is about to begin a "new phase in the war on terror." It says it will "escalate" an operation that already has killed more than 800 Palestinians.

Israel pressed on with its Gaza offensive and Hamas fired more rockets into the western Negev on Saturday in a two-week-old war that defied international efforts to stop it.

Palestinian medical officials say eight people have been killed by an IDF tank strike in the northern Gaza Strip.

The attack occurred in the town of Jabaliya. Paramedics at the scene say the dead appear to be civilians.

The IDF says it is investigating the incident.

Medical officials in the Gaza Strip said the Palestinian death toll had risen to at least 786. Gaza's Islamist Hamas rulers said more than a third were children. Ten IDF soldiers have been killed, as well as three civilians hit by Hamas rocket fire.

The IDF said 15 Hamas militants were killed in a series of 40 air strikes early on Saturday that targeted rocket launch sites, tunnels used to smuggle weapons, weapons caches and production facilities.

Five IDF soldiers sustained minor wounds during fighting before dawn on Saturday in the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported.

Three IDF soldiers were wounded while fighting in Gaza on Friday.

One soldier was moderately wounded, and two others were lightly hurt. All three were taken to Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva for medical treatment.

In the early hours of Saturday morning Gaza residents said warplanes attacked a disused Hamas security compound in the southern town of Khan Younis, a market in Beit Lahiya, near the strip's northern border with Israel and several buildings in and around Gaza City. Flames and smoke could be seen rising into the sky but none of the sites were in use at the time and there were no reports of casualties.

By dawn, IDF ground troops were reported seen in Gaza City's outlying neighborhoods, a little over a mile (2 kilometers) from the seafront Shati refugee camp, but still not entering built-up areas.

IDF upholds brief humanitarian cease-fire

The IDF halted its fire in Gaza for three hours to allow the territory's besieged residents to stock up.

Spokesman Peter Lerner said Saturday's lull in fire would allow aid groups to rush through food distribution to residents. Medics also used the time to pick up casualties in areas of fighting.

It's the third time Israel has halted its fire during a two-week ground and air offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers.

Aid groups said the three-hour lull isn't enough time, but that they would try to help as many people as they can.

Related articles:
  • Hamas claims it hit IAF base 27km from Tel Aviv
  • EU said readying plan to restore Fatah-led PA rule over Gaza crossings
  • Israel rejects UN truce resolution, says Gaza operation to continue
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    From the bunker
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      1.   death toll in gaza 12:31  |  helen 10/01/09
      2.   same old situation 13:31  |  argentinian jew 10/01/09
      3.   response to #1 and 2 18:59  |  mona 10/01/09
      4.   Civilians Used by Both Sides 19:30  |  Mark of Lewiston 10/01/09
      5.   Israel Please Do Not Stop Till Hamas No Longer Exists 19:35  |  The Warrior 10/01/09
      6.   Déjà vu!! 19:35  |  alain 10/01/09
      7.   well of course they`re exhausted, Goliath has been on a tear 19:35  |  newageblues 10/01/09
      8.   To Argentinean... 19:39  |  Objetivo 10/01/09
      9.   Same old situation 19:52  |  JonnyK 10/01/09
      10.   Israel cares about civilian life... We are dropping notices 19:54  |  Ben 10/01/09
      11.   To argentinian jew: number of rockets reduced by 200% 19:56  |  Orkochav 10/01/09
      12.   argentinian jew, "for nothing!"??? 19:57  |  Akiva P 10/01/09
      13.   #3 you must be kidding?? 19:59  |  alain 10/01/09
      14.   Death toll in Gaza 19:59  |  Joe 10/01/09
      15.   FROM SPAIN 20:01  |  SPANISH JEWISH 10/01/09
      16.   Israel is getting there - but after this them what ? 20:02  |  Bo Frank 10/01/09
      17.   Keep Going 20:14  |  Tony 10/01/09
      18.   Ben 20:15  |  John 10/01/09
      19.   To Ben 20:15  |  Mazen 10/01/09
      20.   Prediction 20:16  |  Juniper 10/01/09
      21.   there are no soldiers in gaza only innocent civilians hamas tells 20:19  |  ralph 10/01/09
      22.   Egypt can open its border and end it now! Why not 20:20  |  Ari 10/01/09
      23.   #3 where should pals go!!!!! 20:21  |  ash 10/01/09
      24.   why no posts on Egypt`s Gaza siege???? 20:33  |  Ari 10/01/09
      25.   Perhaps Ben 20:39  |  Jacob 10/01/09
      26.   The Rats Are Jumping Overboard As The SS Jihad Goes Down 20:40  |  Jeff Northridge 10/01/09
      27.   war 20:41  |  Sabra 10/01/09
      28.   war-2 20:47  |  Sabra 10/01/09
      29.   Hamas has to be finished off! 20:48  |  Vladislav Sandler 10/01/09
      30.   Israel might go into Gaza Cities soon 20:52  |  Reid 10/01/09
      31.   300 hamas...500 civilians???? 20:52  |  Rob 10/01/09
      32.   Very well done, IDF. Press the advantage. 20:54  |  Indra 10/01/09
      33.   Dropping Leaflets & # 3 20:56  |  Tony 10/01/09
      34.   argentinian jew - open your eyes and wake up! 20:58  |  Arie 10/01/09
      35.   israel has a death wish 21:00  |  mark aleshnick 10/01/09
      36.   #5 Tony 21:12  |  ilan 10/01/09
      37.   to #5 21:15  |  Bruno 10/01/09
      38.   Great news! now, finish the job 21:18  |  leahR 10/01/09
      39.   Congratulations to IDF! 21:18  |  Stanley 10/01/09
      40.   bla bla bla 21:19  |  mario 10/01/09
      41.   to #13 / on the contrary 21:21  |  Tina 10/01/09
      42.   israhell 21:25  |  gaza 10/01/09
      43.   Tony Toronto # 11 21:25  |  Tina 10/01/09
      44.   Well done IDF!!!! 21:27  |  GR 10/01/09
      45.   "Hamas fighters beginning to desert..." Well, it is time now 21:27  |  Jew- and Bookburner 10/01/09
      46.   Psychological propaganda. 21:37  |  Frank 10/01/09
      47.   6 Jeff: Get a Clue 21:39  |  Tupac 10/01/09
      48.   Bad Psychological War. Stop insulting People`s intelligence 21:39  |  jim 10/01/09
      49.   Running Out Of Civilians To Hide Behind 21:40  |  Bill Foonman 10/01/09
      50.   Hamas Fighters beginning to Desert 21:42  |  Tony 10/01/09
      51.   re Hamas fighters 21:48  |  arier 10/01/09
      52.   14Rob NY Your Numbers are wrong! 21:50  |  Rob AA 10/01/09
      53.   FINISH WITH HAMAS ONCE AND FOR ALL. 21:52  |  ALEX 10/01/09
      54.   Sane Jewish voices 21:57  |  Mike J 10/01/09
      55.   War crimes 21:57  |  Arie 10/01/09
      56.   Deserting? Then stop killing. 21:59  |  Tzfonit 10/01/09
      57.   Terror weapon caches are not 22:01  |  msh 10/01/09
      58.   Let Egypt Open Its Borders # 13 22:03  |  Tony 10/01/09
      59.   Bravo IDF! 22:07  |  Maurice 10/01/09
      60.   TO THE JEWISH GUY IN ARGENTINA 23:24  |  MAJOR DANI 10/01/09
      61.   Ari - Egypt is Your Blocking Force 23:52  |  Mark of Lewiston 10/01/09
      62.   The end is near 23:58  |  ScotGuy 10/01/09
      63.   Tupac # 47 The 300 Gazans 00:50  |  Jeff Northridge 11/01/09
      64.   #35 ur insane 01:10  |  Netanel 11/01/09
      65.   to #60 01:12  |  Stephen 11/01/09
      66.   Keep going 01:12  |  Danite 11/01/09
      67.   Fight to win! Nothing like success! 01:31  |  Kirk 11/01/09
      68.   to Tony & Mark of Lewiston 01:34  |  amir 11/01/09
      69.   Disproportionate Force For Disproportionate Hate! 01:43  |  Lavi 11/01/09
      70.   #19 Mazen 03:23  |  Ben Akiva 11/01/09
      71.   argentinin jew what would you prefer? 04:46  |  goofy jew 11/01/09
      72.   #26Jeff Northridge. The rats are the rats in your government! 04:49  |  Maureen Ann 11/01/09
      73.   Tony # 58 your 5 points 05:17  |  ZISD 11/01/09
      74.   Democracy for Gazans 05:27  |  BackDude 11/01/09
      75.   To Bob , NY 05:29  |  wanchai wong 11/01/09
      76.   Don`t let up. Keep the pressure on. 05:38  |  GloomBoom.com 11/01/09
      77.   to Maureen Ann 71 05:39  |  Daniel 11/01/09
      78.   Pictures on youtube 05:40  |  Edifice 11/01/09
      79.   to Maureen Ann 71 05:42  |  Daniel 11/01/09
      80.   Maureen Ann # 72 What Holocaust? 07:42  |  Jeff Northridge 11/01/09
      81.   #78 part 2 08:31  |  Rab Burns 11/01/09
      82.   MAUREEN Typical "humanitarian" outburst when your side is losing 08:34  |  PETER SM 11/01/09
      83.   NEWAGEBLUES.Firing thousands of missiles at Israeli civillians 08:43  |  PETER SM 11/01/09
      84.   You have got to be kidding me! 14:44  |  Johnboy 11/01/09
      85.   Joe 16:52  |  lady from USA 11/01/09
      86.   Mazen 16:56  |  lady from USA 11/01/09
      87.   Ari 16:58  |  lady from USA 11/01/09
      88.   Jacob 17:04  |  lady from USA 11/01/09
      89.   Maureen Ann 17:35  |  lady from USA 11/01/09
      90.   Mission 08:08  |  Noel 12/01/09
      91.   Cast Lead 23:46  |  Commando 12/01/09
     Read & React
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