Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continues to make progress: bisect Gaza, cut off Gaza City

Face it, the IDF is a superb fighting force. Well equipped, well led, great Air Force... just an all-around, enviable organization. Hamas's continuing insistence of jamming a stick into Israel's eye for months was a self-actualizing death sentence for terrorists in the region.

They're a desease... the IDF is the cure.

The international, pro-terrorist cacophony stands somewhat muted over the usual, anti-Israeli (Dare I say it? Anti-Semitic, Jew-hating) condemnation: many are smart enough to realize that Israel is responding to incessant attacks by Iranian-succored terrorist thugs, supported locally be a population that would love to see Israel destroyed and its inhabitants slaughtered by the millions.

In the parlance: GET SOME! and then, GET SOME MORE!

Israeli forces bisect Gaza, surround biggest city
Sunday, January 4 1:24 a.m.

By IBRAHIM BARZAK and MATTI FRIEDMAN Associated Press Writers

Israeli ground troops and tanks cut swaths through the Gaza Strip early Sunday, bisecting the coastal territory and surrounding its biggest city as the new phase of a devastating offensive against Hamas gained momentum.

Thousands of soldiers in three brigade-size formations pushed into Gaza after nightfall Saturday, beginning a long-awaited ground offensive after a week of intense aerial bombardment. Black smoke billowed over Gaza City at first light and bursts of machine gun fire rang out.

TV footage showed Israeli troops with night-vision goggles and camouflage face paint marching in single file. Artillery barrages preceded their advance, and they moved through fields and orchards following bomb-sniffing dogs ensuring their routes had not been booby-trapped.

The military said troops killed or wounded dozens of militant fighters, but Palestinian medical teams in Gaza, unable to move because of the fighting, could not provide casualty figures. Hamas said only three of its fighters had been killed, and Gaza health officials said eight civilians also died, including a 12-year-old girl in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya and four family members killed in an airstrike in southern Gaza.

Army ambulances were seen bringing Israeli wounded to a hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba. The military reported 30 Israeli troops were wounded, two seriously, in the opening hours of the offensive.

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Looks like Israel has taken off the gloves... and it's about time.

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I've frequently wondered why Israel continues to show such high levels of forbearance against the terrorists infesting it's border region.

Proportionally, the death of one Israeli (with a population of 5,542,000 Jews; 1,477,000 Israeli Arabs and the remainder a mixtures of others (318,000.) for a total of 7,337,000) would equal the deaths of roughly 45 Americans. (Our population is roughly 45 times that of Israel.)

45.

So, every day, Israel is on the receiving end of terrorist missiles, mostly supplied by Iran. They have put up with it and put up with it and put up with it, until the last few days.

A note for you leftists opposed to our effective border fence: since the Israelis have put up their border fence, suicide murders/bombings have become practically unknown.

What is it that Sean Connery said in that movie about Elliott Ness In the Untouchables?

"if one of them pulls a knife, you pull a gun; if they put one of yours in the hospital, put one of theirs in the morgue."

Israel needs to go back to this policy. Being the nice guy has availed them nothing. Making concession after concession has accomplished zip.

EVERY time ANY missile flies into Israel, they should mount massive and devastating counter attacks immediately. That means they should flatten towns and villages around the border region. This should become a policy, an automatic default setting.

Destroy enough of the region and I guarantee you that the people will rise up and throw off the yolk of the Hamas and Fatah terrorist oppression.

I hate to sound callous about it, but I care no more about the deaths of Palestinian civilians, including the deaths of Palestinian children; then the Palestinians care about the deaths of Israeli civilians, including children.

In short.... not at all.

Israel's situation is desperate. The are surrounded by hundreds of millions who would celebrate their destruction much like they celebrated the damage we suffered on 9/11.

They must make it so expensive to attack them that the attackers will simply not even consider it as an option.

And that also means attacking Iran. And soon.

Enough is enough. How much would we take? How much would you take if your neighbor started firing into your house? And what would you do to defend it?

"The carnage has inflamed Arab public opinion, and the diplomatic fallout came swiftly."

So... how come firing missiles in Israeli civilian targets doesn't "inflame Arab public opinion?"

This has been going on for months... and how outraged has the Arab street been about that?

And where's the "diplomatic fallout" for the terrorist supporter countries?

There isn't any.

So, Israel must ignore what others have to say. They must do what is right for their survival. And we must stop supporting those who would destroy them.

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Israeli troops mobilize as Gaza assault widens
Israel widened its deadliest-ever air offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers Sunday, pounding smuggling tunnels and a central prison, sending more tanks and artillery toward the Gaza border and approving a reserves callup for a possible ground invasion.

By IBRAHIM BARZAK and KARIN LAUB
Associated Press Writers
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel widened its deadliest-ever air offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers Sunday, pounding smuggling tunnels and a central prison, sending more tanks and artillery toward the Gaza border and approving a reserves callup for a possible ground invasion.

Israeli leaders said they would press ahead with the Gaza campaign, despite enraged protests across the Arab world and Syria's decision to break off indirect peace talks with the Jewish state. Israel's foreign minister said the goal was to halt Gaza rocket fire on Israel for good, but not to reoccupy the territory.

With the two-day death toll climbing above 290 Sunday, crowds of Gazans breached the border wall with Egypt to escape the chaos. Egyptian forces, some firing in the air, tried to push them back into Gaza and an official said one border guard was killed.

Hamas, in turn, fired missiles deeper than ever into Israel, near the Israeli port city of Ashdod, and continues to command some 20,000 fighters.

Yet Hamas leaders were forced into hiding, most of the dead were from the Hamas security forces, and Israel's military intelligence chief said Hamas' ability to fire rockets had been reduced by 50 percent. Indeed, Hamas rockets fire dropped off sharply, from more than 130 on Saturday to just over 20 on Sunday.

Israel's intense bombings - some 300 air strikes since midday Saturday - wreaked unprecedented destruction in Gaza, reducing entire buildings to rubble.

Shlomo Brom, a former senior Israeli military official, said it was the deadliest force ever used in decades of Israeli-Palestinian fighting. "Since Hamas took over Gaza (in June 2007), it has become a war between two states, and in war between states, more force is used," he said.
European leaders called on both Israel and Hamas to end the bloodshed.

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