(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel - The IDF said Tuesday that small special forces units have been operating in northern Gaza for about two months. Earlier Tuesday, an IDF unit killed four Palestinian members of a Kassam rocket-launching cell in northern Gaza as they were preparing to fire a rocket at Ashkelon. Senior officers noted that infiltrating experienced soldiers into Gaza with a broad backup network enables Israel to hit terrorists with precision, reducing the risk of civilian casualties. They also explained that such operations have a cumulative effect by undermining the terrorist cells' sense of security and restricting their freedom of action. According to the IDF's Southern Command, there has been a 40% drop in the number of Palestinian rocket launches since military activity was stepped up in late March. The launches have also become less accurate. Islamic Jihad has lost more than 40 operatives via IDF operations in Gaza in recent months.
2006-05-31 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive