JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that his country's devastating military onslaught on the Gaza Strip would continue "at full strength," while adding that there were "no guarantees" of total success.
"We are continuing Operation Protective Edge at full strength, in the air and on the ground. In the ground campaign, the emphasis is on dealing with the tunnels," Netanyahu said at a Thursday cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
"While there are no guarantees of 100 percent success, [Israeli] soldiers are making important successes in locating and neutralizing the terrorist tunnels," he asserted.
The Israeli premier added that the army had managed to strike "a deep and significant blow at the infrastructure of terrorism, at the terrorists themselves, at rockets, at command centers, at production facilities and at many other targets."
Since July 7, Israel has pummeled the Gaza Strip – from air, land and sea – with the ostensible aim of halting Palestinian rocket fire.
One week ago, Israel stepped up its offensive to include ground operations, sending thousands of troops into the embattled coastal enclave.
At least 771 Palestinians have been killed so far, mostly civilians, and more than 5000 injured by unrelenting Israeli bombardments.
Meanwhile, a total of 32 Israelis – 30 soldiers and two civilians – have been confirmed killed by Palestinian resistance fighters since hostilities began on July 7.
Israel's operation "Protective Edge" is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populated Gaza Strip, which is home to some 1.8 million Palestinians, within the last six years.
In 2008/9, over 1500 Palestinians were killed – the vast majority of them civilians – during Israel's three-week-long "Operation Cast Lead."
By Abdel-Raouf Arnaout
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en
