SeanAshi
03-16-2004, 12:11 AM
Several Israel Defense Forces tanks early Tuesday morning moved into Gaza City from the south, Palestinian witnesses said, hours before Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was to meet with the political-security cabinet to discuss responses to the Ashdod Port bombing two days earlier, in which 10 people were killed.
An angry Sharon has reportedly asked the IDF to prepare a more severe response than usual.
Soldiers destroyed an abandoned building at the edge of Gaza City after ordering families from nearby houses to evacuate the area during the operation. The Israelis said the building was used by militants to fire at Israeli vehicles. Two Palestinian policemen were wounded by Israeli gunfire.
Defense officials said a closure clamped on the Gaza Strip after the bombing, banning 19,000 Palestinian workers with permits from reaching their jobs in Israel, would be extended to the West Bank until further notice.
Security officials speaking in condition of anonymity said that Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz would recommend to the Security Cabinet that any response take the form of a surgical strike rather than large-scale incursion.
Sources in Jerusalem said Monday that the helicopter attack in which two missiles were fired against metal workshops in Gaza City early Monday morning would not be considered a sufficient response.
Defense Minister Mofaz, who returned Monday from a trip to the United States, instructed security chiefs to "step up the offensive against Hamas." The sources said that targeted assassinations against Hamas leaders will be increased.
The previous round of targeted assassinations, in 2003 - about which the chief of staff said at the time, "the owner of the house has gone mad" - was considered a success by the defense establishment: Hamas moderated its activities for a few months.
Defense officials also decided to step up ground attacks along the lines of those the IDF has been carrying out in the Gaza Strip for the past year and a half, and IDF forces will reportedly be deepening their raids at the brigade level. However, Israel is not planning a large-scale and continuous operation in the Strip.
Mofaz moved up his return to Israel a few hours to hold an evaluation of the situation with security chiefs ahead of this morning's cabinet meeting.
A senior defense official noted that the Ashdod attack was "a step up" in the pattern of Hamas activities. Although the bombing was carried out by both Fatah and Hamas, Hamas is believed to have led the planning and implementation. The source said that Israel therefore also had to ratchet up its response a notch.
On Monday, the IDF beefed up its forces in the Strip, although IDF sources said that no large ground operation was expected to begin during the night.
An angry Sharon has reportedly asked the IDF to prepare a more severe response than usual.
Soldiers destroyed an abandoned building at the edge of Gaza City after ordering families from nearby houses to evacuate the area during the operation. The Israelis said the building was used by militants to fire at Israeli vehicles. Two Palestinian policemen were wounded by Israeli gunfire.
Defense officials said a closure clamped on the Gaza Strip after the bombing, banning 19,000 Palestinian workers with permits from reaching their jobs in Israel, would be extended to the West Bank until further notice.
Security officials speaking in condition of anonymity said that Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz would recommend to the Security Cabinet that any response take the form of a surgical strike rather than large-scale incursion.
Sources in Jerusalem said Monday that the helicopter attack in which two missiles were fired against metal workshops in Gaza City early Monday morning would not be considered a sufficient response.
Defense Minister Mofaz, who returned Monday from a trip to the United States, instructed security chiefs to "step up the offensive against Hamas." The sources said that targeted assassinations against Hamas leaders will be increased.
The previous round of targeted assassinations, in 2003 - about which the chief of staff said at the time, "the owner of the house has gone mad" - was considered a success by the defense establishment: Hamas moderated its activities for a few months.
Defense officials also decided to step up ground attacks along the lines of those the IDF has been carrying out in the Gaza Strip for the past year and a half, and IDF forces will reportedly be deepening their raids at the brigade level. However, Israel is not planning a large-scale and continuous operation in the Strip.
Mofaz moved up his return to Israel a few hours to hold an evaluation of the situation with security chiefs ahead of this morning's cabinet meeting.
A senior defense official noted that the Ashdod attack was "a step up" in the pattern of Hamas activities. Although the bombing was carried out by both Fatah and Hamas, Hamas is believed to have led the planning and implementation. The source said that Israel therefore also had to ratchet up its response a notch.
On Monday, the IDF beefed up its forces in the Strip, although IDF sources said that no large ground operation was expected to begin during the night.