A special IDF unit - the Southern Command's Spotters' Batallion - has for many months spotted, tracked and neutralized many explosive devices and terrorists along the Israeli-Gaza border, at times crossing covertly the fence into the Gaza Strip on an ambush.
An Inside look at the Israeli troops in Gaza
January 09, 2009: Channel 10 news reporter, Or Heller, accompanied the Israeli troops in Gaza.
IDF Soldiers Fight Their Way Through Gaza's Streets 8/01/09
Raw Video: An IDF unit fight their way thru North Gaza coming up against enemy fire and discovering Hamas weapons,uniforms and bombs along the way.
In a pinpoint operation conducted by IDF forces in coordination with the ISA this morning, soldiers targeted and identified hitting a number of Islamic Jihad operatives who in recent days launched rockets into Israel: Nasser Halil Hassan Ouda, More..21; Muhammad Faez Yadeb Hanedi, 24; Anwar Abed al-Hafiz Abu Salem, 23.
The IAF attacked approximately 25 targets, including:
- Nine weaponry storehouses, most of them hidden under Hamas operatives homes
- A number of weapons smuggling tunnels
- Four rocket launching sites
- A junction rigged with explosives, which operatives had planned to detonate against IDF forces
- A vehicle carrying a rocket launcher
- Two Hamas outposts
- Five cells of armed operatives, some of which fired at IDF forces
Ground forces encountered and shot armed gunmen in several different incidents.
IAF, Navy and Artillery forces continued to support ground forces operating in Gaza, striking groups of gunmen approaching IDF units, as well as gunmen identified at rocket launching sites.
An IDF officer was killed and another soldier lightly wounded this morning during a fire-fight in the central Gaza Strip. The soldiers, from the Kfir infantry brigade, were hit by an anti-tank missile. In another incident, an IDF soldier was severely wounded, another soldier was moderately wounded and five soldiers were lightly wounded when a rocket hit the Eshkol region. The wounded soldiers were evacuated to hospital for further care.
The IDF will continue to operate against the terrorist organizations in Gaza and anyone who aids them.
IDF soldiers rescue Hamas terrorists in a collapsing tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border
