IDF starts 'massive' artillery fire on northern Gaza

From Carl in Jerusalem:

IDF starts 'massive' artillery fire on northern Gaza

Shavua tov, a good week to everyone.

Late Saturday afternoon the IDF started what Israel Radio calls 'massive'artillery fire on northern Gaza in yet another indication that a ground operation into Gaza is imminent.

According to reports, the artillery units were attacking targets in northern Gaza from where Palestinian terrorists had been firing rockets at southern Israel.

The shelling was seen as a possible signal that a ground invasion could be nearing.

Warplanes, gunboats and artillery units blasted more than 40 Hamas targets throughout Saturday, including weapons storage facilities, training centers and Hamas leaders' homes.

Air strikes that had waned during the day gathered pace after dark. One raid hit a mosque in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, killing 10 people and wounding 33, seven critically, according to a Palestinian health official.

Other Palestinian reports said that the mosque was hit by an artillery shell.

The IAF also hit a mosque in northern Gaza and the home of senior Hamas commander Abu Zacharia Al-Jamal. A Hamas spokesman announced that al-Jamal was killed in the attack, which would make him the third senior operative in the group to be targeted in the past three days.

But apparently the ground attack is not yet a done deal.

Israeli defense officials said some 10,000 troops, including tank, artillery and special operations units, were massed on the Gaza border and prepared to invade. They said top commanders were split over whether to send in ground forces, in part because such an operation could lead to heavy casualties but also because they believed Hamas already had been dealt a heavy blow. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were classified discussions.

Earlier in the day, the IDF dropped leaflets on Gaza City, urging people to stay off the streets.

More information here and here (Hat Tip: Memeorandum).

Meanwhile, Israel Radio reports that 150 moonbats demonstrating against the war in Tel Aviv were overwhelmed by some 4-5000 spontaneous counter-demonstrators. Heh.

By the way, the picture at the top of this post is not from today.

UPDATE 7:11 PM

Israel Radio just reported that al-Jazzeera's Arabic correspondent in Gaza says that they are expecting a ground invasion tonight.

In the news at the top of the hour, Israel Radio reported that Hezbullah has threatened to shell northern Israel in the event of an Israeli ground attack on Gaza.

UPDATE 7:19 PM

In the last few minutes, there have been "code red" warnings in Ashdod, Ashkelon and Yavne.