JERUSALEM – IDF forces are continuing to operate inside the Gaza Strip, their main objective are still the terror tunnels. A senior IDF officer was quoted yesterday saying that “Israel is in possession of all of the attack tunnels that Hamas dug from Gaza to Israel. A few more days are needed in order to dispose of the remaining tunnels.”
The IDF blew up two more tunnels in the course of the last 24 hours. “The longer we stay on the ground, the more we learn about the extent of the tunnels and the route they were built in,” he said.
IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz entered Gaza on Sunday to appraise the IDF’s achievements up-close and discuss further plans with field commanders. Aware of the mounting international pressure to end the operation immediately and unconditionally, Gantz stated: “It’s going to take some time, but every minute here matters.” He further pointed out that the IDF was working with full-force to destroy the leftover tunnels.
Egyptian Border Guards, in coordination with the armed forces, destroyed 13 tunnels in Sinai on Saturday evening, said Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier Mohamed Samir in a statement. Authorities also seized a pickup truck that allegedly transferred 68 packs of agricultural pesticides that had Hebrew writing on it.
The IDF’s operations, together, and possibly in coordination with the Egyptians’ actions, are effectively cutting Hamas off from any real possibility to replenish their rocket arsenal, which is down by 50 percent according to IDF figures.
An Israeli woman was moderately wounded yesterday afternoon by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip. Over the past 24 hours more than 71 rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel. At least 50 rockets hit Israel. 9 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. The IDF struck over 40 terror targets in the Gaza Strip yesterday and 3,865 terror targets in total since the beginning of the operation. 32 terror tunnels were uncovered by IDF forces since July 17th.
Since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge more than 2,500 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israel.
