LE TROISIÈME JOUR DE LA GUERRE

Thu, Jul 10, 2014 - 12 Tammuz, 5774

The IDF has requested from Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who live in a number of areas near the Israeli border to begin vacating their homes. Thus far, since Operation Protective Edge began on Tuesday, the IDF has targeted terror infrastructure in Gaza solely from the air. However rocket fire from Gaza continued to hit Israel throughout Thursday as some within Israel called for a ground operation. The IDF struck 60 targets across Gaza between Thursday morning and afternoon, bringing the total number of targets hit by the military to some 800 since the start of the operation on Monday night to extinguish Hamas rocket fire on Israel. Targets included buildings used by the Hamas leadership, the homes of senior Hamas members, tunnels, underground launchers, communications infrastructure, military bases, and weapons caches. The IAF carried out dozens of air strikes, and Israel Navy missile boats fired on coastal targets that housed weapons, as well as Hamas military posts. The IDF and Shin Bet intelligence agency joint targeted the homes of a series of Hamas leaders that were used as command and control centers by the military wing of Hamas. The homes belonged to, among others, Uval Janadiya, a deputy commander of Hamas forces in Saja'yia, who oversaw attacks on the IDF, and took part in fighting in Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, the IDF said. The home of Arafat Abu-Abdullah, an Islamic Jihad commander in central Gaza, was also hit. Abu-Abdullah commanded over Islamic Jihad terrorist activity from central Gaza, including rocket fire on Israel in recent days. Mahdi Kuara, a Hamas operative from Khan Younes in southern Gaza, and Nisim Abu Ajaina, a Hamas commander from Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, responsible for building Hamas's military power and the digging of attack tunnels, both lost their homes in the air strikes. The home of Shadi Saleh Rajab, a Hamas member responsible for rocket fire from northern Gaza, was bombed as well. "The IDF has struck and will continue to seriously damage the Hamas terror organization, its infrastructure, and any element involved in terror attacks on the state of Israel and its citizens," the IDF said. The IAF struck three Islamic Jihad members in central Gaza on Thursday. The IDF named them as Mahmoud Walud, Hazam Ba'alusha, and Ala'a Abd Alabni. All three were killed in the strike. Alanbi was responsible for Islamic Jihad's rocket launching cells in northern Gaza, and fire on Israel in recent days, including long-range projectiles.

Dozens of rockets were fired at Israeli cities on Thursday evening, with Gaza terrorists targeting Beersheba, Dimona, Rehovot, Jerusalem and the greater Tel Aviv area. Four rockets were fired at the Jerusalem area with two of the projectiles being shot down by the Iron Dome. Two other rockets fell in open areas. No injuries or damage were initially reported in the attacks. Judea and Samaria District Police said that two rockets were found in the Ma'ale Adumim area and the Binyamin area. Hamas took responsibility for the rocket fire on the capital, saying it had used M-75 type rockets. Gaza terrorists also targeted Dimona, the home of Israel's nuclear reactor for the second time on Thursday, and the third time in two days. There were no immediate reports of rockets being located in the area. Sirens sounded in areas of central Israel surrounding Tel Aviv, such as Lod, Ramle, and the Shfela, which absorbed a heavy barrage. Siren were also sounded in southern cities Ashdod and Ashkelon and the smaller communities adjacent to the Gaza frontier. A house in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council was struck, sustaining damage.