Israel warns of Gaza invasion

29/02/2008| IslamWeb

The Israeli defense minister has said that the military would step up its operations against Palestinian rocket fire from Gaza and is "not afraid" of launching a "major ground" invasion.

Ehud Barak told Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, and David Miliband, the British foreign minister, in phone conversations that Israel would step up its response to the rocket fire but a ground offensive was not imminent.

Israel has been reluctant to invade Gaza because of concerns of getting bogged down there.

But Barak told his security chiefs on Thursday that an offensive was a definite option.

"The major ground operation is real and tangible. We are not afraid of it," he said, according to a participant in the closed door meeting.

Hamas officials struck a defiant tone on Thursday.

"We will never have equipment comparable to our enemy, but we are working all the time to have enough to make any aggression a regrettable adventure for the enemy," said Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the Hamas military wing, Izzedine al-Qassam.

Dozens dead

The threat of a full-scale invasion came as the Israeli military continued to pound Gaza on Thursday, killing 20 Palestinians, including five children playing football.

The air strikes brought the toll to more than 30 dead and more than 60 injured in two days of attacks.

PHOTO CAPTION 

Palestinians inspect the wreckage of a truck following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City.

Al-Jazeera