Israeli soldiers sit on top of an armored vehicle as smoke rises from Gaza near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009. Israeli ground troops made their deepest advance into the Gaza Strip's most heavily populated area on Sunday, encountering fierce resistance from Islamic Hamas fighters as residents of the war-ravaged territory braced for a sharp escalation in fighting in defiance of global calls for a cease-fire. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)Israeli Forces Advance Deep Into Gaza Urban Areas
-- Yahoo News/AP
-- Yahoo News/AP
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Israeli ground forces made their deepest foray yet Sunday into Gaza's most populated area, with tanks rolling into residential neighborhoods and infantry fighting urban warfare in streets and buildings with Hamas militants who kept up their rocketing of southern Israel.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said residential neighborhoods in Gaza are riddled with homemade bombs and booby traps, including mannequins placed at apartment entrances to simulate militants and rigged to explode if soldiers approach.
The army "is advancing more into urban areas," said the spokeswoman, Maj. Avital Leibovich. "Since the majority of the Hamas militants are pretty much in hiding in those places, mainly urban places, then we operate in those areas."
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More News On The Israel Hamas War
Israeli troops flood Gaza capital -- UPI
Israel sends army reservists into Gaza battle -- Reuters
Israel sends reservists into Gaza but says end may be near -- Yahoo News/AFP
Israeli reservists sent to Gaza -- BBC
Israel reinforces army before ‘third phase’ of war in Gaza -- Times Online
Hamas split on cease-fire -- The Washington Times
Reservists join Gaza fighting ahead of third stage of Operation Cast Lead -- Haaretz
My Comment: Entering an urban environment that is heavily populated like Gaza City is going to produce a nightmare with thousands that are dead .... and tens of thousands wounded.
I am confident that the Israeli military is not going to pussyfoot around. If an apartment block is giving resistance, that apartment block is going to be bombed .... civilians or not. And Hamas .... they do not care if they are using a mosque or school to launch attacks.
The consequences and repercussions from this conflict is going to be felt for years .... and there is nothing that we in the West can do about it. Because lets face it .... both sides in this conflict are son of a bitches .... and both sides probably know that but are proceeding with this massacre anyway.