An Israeli source reported, on Thursday at night, that Israel is planning to create “security strips” in the Gaza Strip, in a move which is said to aid the army in stopping the firing of homemade shells at Israeli targets.
One security strip would be placed in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, while the other will be installed in the southern part.
Israeli Defense minister, Shaul Mofaz, gave the green-light for the army to continue strikes in Gaza, and to strike deep into the Palestinian areas there.
He also instructed the Israeli air-force to persist with strikes against areas in Gaza from which Qassam homemade shells are launched from, and ordered the army to block Palestinian access to launching pads.
Mofaz issued his orders during a meeting with senior Israeli security officials.
On the ground, Israeli artillery fired several shells at locations in the previous settlements of Doughit and Eli Sinai; army claims the resistance groups are using the ruins of the evacuated settlement to fire homemade shells at Israel.
Also, Mofaz and his security team decided to limit the movement of the residents in areas which are used by the resistance to fire homemade shells, in addition to resuming the assassinations against resistance fighters there.
The possibility of a ground offensive was discussed during the meeting, but no steps to implement such action were taken.
Israeli security establishment has in effect decided to employ a strategy of “gradual offensive”; each stage of strikes and military offensive is more sever than the one before it.
Army source reported, on Thursday at night, that one homemade shell was fired at the western Negev region, the shell apparently hit a Kibbutz in the area, no injuries were reported.
Four fighters were assassinated in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on Thursday; one resident was killed after the army shelled Gaza, and three other residents were killed in the West Bank city of Nablus.
