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Five Israeli soldiers killed during day of continued Gaza violence
Intense fighting continued to rage on Thursday in the Gaza Strip with casualties on both sides, as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasised the need to demolish the network of Hamas tunnels used to attack Israel.
Speaking before a cabinet meeting yesterday, Netanyahu said that “Hamas has been hit hard” during Operation Protective Edge which he said is focused on destroying the tunnels, which give Hamas the capability “to abduct and murder civilians and IDF soldiers.” The IDF reported yesterday that it had demolished another two tunnels and had hit a further 40 Hamas targets during yesterday’s fighting. Israel Radio news reports that around 80 per cent of the located tunnels have been demolished. However, five Israeli soldiers were killed yesterday when a mortar was fired at a staging area near the Gaza border. In total, 61 Israeli soldiers have been killed during Operation Protective Edge.
A total of around 90 rockets were fired yesterday from Gaza into Israel. The Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted several rockets, including over Tel Aviv and Ramle. However, a rocket did directly hit a residential building in Kiryat Gat, wounding two people, one seriously. More than 2,850 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel since the military operation began more than three weeks ago.
Meanwhile, intense clashes continued within the Gaza Strip, especially in the Shejaiya neighbourhood. Haaretz reports that at least 15 Hamas terrorists were killed during yesterday’s fighting. However, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says that 84 Palestinians were killed yesterday and there were reports of further deaths following overnight Israeli air strikes in Khan Younis.
The number of civilian deaths in Gaza continued to raise international concerns yesterday. In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said, “The civilian casualties in Gaza have been too high. And it’s become clear that the Israelis need to do more to live up to their very high standards … for protecting civilian life.”