Israeli tanks rumble into Gaza

The Associated Press

Published: November 18, 2008

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip: Israeli tanks pushed into the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, drawing mortar fire from Palestinian militants and intensifying violence that has chipped away at a tenuous cease-fire.

Israel and Gaza's ruling Islamic militant Hamas movement have been trading fire for two weeks after nearly five months of relative quiet. The violence comes as the Egyptian-negotiated truce that began June 19 is due to expire next month, and both sides might be trying to dictate more favorable terms in anticipation of the agreement's renewal.

Backed by a bulldozer and military jeep, the tanks rumbled about a quarter-mile into the tiny seaside strip, residents and Gaza security officials said. Residents said they leveled lands along the border east of the city of Rafah near the Egyptian border.

The Israeli military described the activity as "a routine operation to uncover explosive devices." Militant groups said they fired mortars and rockets at the tanks, which did not return fire. The military withdrew from the area by early afternoon, according to Gaza officials. There were no casualties on either side.

It was the first ground action in a week. At least 17 militants have been killed since the truce began unraveling, and by the military's count, militants have fired more than 140 rockets and mortars at Israel.

Both Israel and Hamas leaders have said they hoped the Egyptian-brokered truce could be preserved. But a small, Hamas-allied group said they consider the truce to have broken down, and Israel has threatened to hit hard if the rocket fire persists.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, Ihab al-Ghussein, accused Israel of subverting the truce, while another top Hamas leader, Mahmoud Zahar, said he wanted to maintain it, as long as crossings into Gaza were reopened.

As violence has escalated, Israel has clamped down further on already-tight border crossings, drastically restricting vital supplies to the seaside territory home to 1.4 million people.

The head of the U.N. aid agency for Palestinian refugees, Karen AbuZayd, Tuesday called on Israel to end the blockade. She said the agency's food warehouse is "empty."

The top human rights official for the U.N., Navi Pillay, also pushed for an end to the blockade, which she said breached international and humanitarian law.

In a statement from her Geneva-based office, Pillay said Palestinians "have been forcibly deprived of their most basic human rights for months." She called on both sides to end the violence.

Pillay's comments drew an angry response from Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.

"Overall responsibility for the situation in the Gaza Strip lies with Hamas, which invests all of its resources in arms and terrorism instead of providing for the civilians that it brutally controls," said Aharon Leshno-Yaar.

Leshno-Yaar also rejected Pillay's claim that Israel has cut off essential supplies, saying that water and electricity were still flowing and 33 trucks loaded with supplies arrived in Gaza Monday. More are waiting to enter "as soon as Hamas ends its violent attacks," he said.

Late Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided to keep the crossings closed again Wednesday because of the continuing rocket fire.

Before the truce, militants barraged Israel with near-daily rocket attacks, provoking sometimes harsh military retaliation that killed hundreds of Palestinians, including civilians.

In recent weeks, several dozen foreign activists have defied the siege, reaching Gaza by boat to try to draw attention to the misery the blockade has caused.

On Tuesday, a local Palestinian activist, Amjad Shawwa, said Israel arrested three foreigners who had boarded Palestinian fishing boats to express solidarity with Gaza fishermen, whose livelihoods have been hurt by Israeli restrictions.

Shawwa identified the foreigners as Andrew Muncie of Scotland, Darlene Wallace of the U.S. and Vittorio Arrignoni of Italy. Fifteen fishermen also were arrested.

The Israeli military said the Palestinian ships strayed from the defined fishing zone along Gaza's coast and did not comply with orders to leave the area.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/18/news/ML-Israel-Palestinians.php