All of the overtures for peces have seemingly failed. And with the backing of George Bush's radio message, Israel has moved beyond just bombing Gaza by air, the ground assault is ON! Israeli tanks and infantry entered Gaza after nightfall Saturday, launching a ground offensive that the military said would be a "lengthy operation" in a widening war on Gaza's Hamas rulers.
For the first time since the start of Operation Cast Lead, IDF ground troops entered the Gaza Strip on Saturday evening, exchanging fire with Hamas gunmen.
Heavy gun battles were reported as troops crossed the border into Gaza. Local TV networks broadcast images of troops marching into Gaza after dark. "We have many many targets," Maj. Avital Leibovich said. "To my estimation, it will be a lengthy operation." She said the goal of the operation was to take over the areas used by militants to launch rockets against Israel. "The civilians are not our target, only militants, Hamas militants," she said.
But we know that. The question is "what's the cost"? Where might it lead?
What are some possible unintended consequences? Welcome to the presidency Barack Obama.
The IDF said that a large amount of troops from the Armored Corps, Engineering Corps and Infantry Corps entered the territory with the purpose of destroying Hamas infrastructure and preventing rocket fire by taking control of launching pads "in order to greatly reduce the quantity of rockets fired at Israel and Israeli civilians."
The IDF warned that terrorists using civilians as human shields would bear full responsibility for their fate. The IDF spokesperson emphasized that "anyone who hides a terrorist or weapons in his house is considered a terrorist," adding that "the residents of Gaza are not the target of the operation." In other words, Israel isn't playing games, aren't going to play nice.
That's why it's called WAR!
About the Author:
As a spiritual-futurist, I interpret current events in light of possible macro-universal forces at play leading up to 2012, but not limited to it.