Thursday, June 29, 2006

Group holding Asheri says it will soon issue demands

The Popular Resistance Committees has claimed to be holding Itamar
resident Eliyahu Asheri, missing since Sunday, and said late Wedneday
morning it will soon issue its demands in exchange for information
about him.

In a statement broadcast on Al-Jezeera, the spokesman referred to
Asheri by his full name, as it appears on his identity card. A Kol
Yisrael reporter says no other media outlets had referred to Asheri's
middle name.

Earlier, the organization threatened to kill Asheri if Israel does not
halt its military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Israel's former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu has called on the public
to recite Psalms 142, 143 and 144 for the welfare of Eliyahu Asheri
and the kidnapped soldier, Gilad Shalit.

Israel Radio 28.06.2006 13:52

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Nablus resident throws explosive device at troops

An explosive device was thrown at IDF troops operating in Nablus on
Tuesday night. No one was hurt. In Judea and Samaria, IDF troops
detained seven wanted Palestinians. The arrests were made around
Kabatiya, near Jenin, Nablus, Bethlehem and Jericho. The Palestinians
arrested belong to the Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and Fatah.

Israel Radio 28.06.2006 14:14

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Homefront Command holds 2-day drill in north

The IDF Homefront Command is conducting a drill in the north of the
country. It will continue until Wednesday evening, and resume
Thursday.

During the exercise, there will be heightened traffic of security
vehicles, sirens will be heard, and soldiers will be seen in
protective gear.

Israel Radio 28.06.2006 14:14

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Military Inteligence: soldier held in s. strip, kidnapping directed
from Hamas, Syria

A senior Israeli intelligence officer says that according to current
information in the IDF's hands, abducted soldier Gilad Shalit is being
held in the southern Gaza Strip by members of the Hamas
infrastructure.

According to the military officer, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh does not know the exact place in which Shalit is being held,
but is familiar with the group of kidnappers.

The Israeli officer said Prime Minister Haniyeh and Foreign Minister
Mahmoud A-Zahar are trying to bring about the release of the soldier,
but that the Hamas military wing is not receiving orders from the
Hamas leadership in the Palestinian Authority, but from Khaled Mashaal
in Syria.

The senior intelligence officer, briefing the Knesset Foreign Affairs
and Defense Committee, said the kidnappers might be trying to transfer
Shalit to some other place in the Gaza Strip, or to outside the Gaza
Strip. The Egyptians, he said, have stepped up their preparedness at
the Philadeplhi corridor between Gaza and Egypt, but the crossing is
not hermetically sealed, and smuggling through tunnels is still
possible.

The Israeli intelligence officer also told the Knesset committee that
the international community is not pressuring enough to ensure the
release of the Israeli soldier, and Egypt is the only "bright spot,"
as he put it. He also said that forces loyal to Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) are not showing determination.

Israel Radio 28.06.2006 09:47

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Operation Summer's Rain commences in response to the kidnapping of an
Israeli soldier, in an effort to return him to Israel as quickly and
peacefully as possible.
(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)

The Air Force has begun to attack targets in Gaza City. Tuesday night
a bridge in the central Gaza Strip was bombed to lessen the danger
that the kidnapped Israeli soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit, would be
moved around. An electrical power station in southern Gaza was also
attacked to handicap and disrupt operations of the terrorist
organizations connected, directly or indirectly, to the kidnapping.

In addition, an IDF ground force took over control of the Dahaniya
airfield in the southeastern Gaza Strip. Dahaniya is a strategic post
for observation and command of the vicinity of Rafah and southern
Gaza. It was taken over so as to make it more difficult for
terrorists to smuggle their captive out of the area.

"We must understand that this campaign against terror is not a
campaign of 'bang and we're done,'" explained Chief of Staff
Lieutenant General Dan Halutz. Rather, he said, "this is an ongoing
campaign. We must do everything required, in a continuing manner, to
deal with them. It would seem that the ceasefire has been
misinterpreted by the other side. The facts speak for themselves."

The IDF will continue to employ all operational options at its
disposal against Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip in
order to return Corporal Shalit to Israel quickly and peacefully.

(11:50 28/06/2006)

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Jerusalem, 28 June 2006

IDF Enters Southern Gaza Strip to Secure Release of Abducted Soldier
(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)

In response to the abduction of IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit on June
25, IDF forces entered the southern Gaza Strip during the night,
moving into the region of Dahaniya in the southeastern Gaza Strip.

The IDF operation has included:

- Artillery fire at open areas in the southern Gaza Strip.
- Aerial attacks on three bridges in the central Gaza Strip.
- Aerial attack on electricity transformer station south of Gaza city
- Entry of armored forces into the Dahaniya area, mainly the abandoned
airport. The area of Dahaniya represents a strategic control and
observation point over the area of Rafah and the southern Gaza Strip.
So far there has been one incident of gunfire and anti-tank missile
fire at the forces, but no injuries or damage were reported.

The purpose of these actions by the IDF is to prevent the kidnappers
from transferring the soldier within or out of the Gaza Strip and
otherwise disrupt their activity, and to send a clear message to the
terror organizations holding the soldier captive that if he is not
released safely and quickly, further operational means remain
available to the IDF.

The IDF holds the Hamas government responsible for the fate of the
missing soldier.

The IDF will continue to act with determination and to employ all
means at its disposal to combat terrorists and their infrastructure,
in order to defend the citizens of Israel and will continue to make
every effort to return Cpl. Shalit home quickly and safely.

The IDF is currently firing artillery at open areas in the southern
Gaza strip, the objective of this is to impair the terrorists
capability to move the abducted IDF soldier, coroporal Gilad Shalit,
from his current loaction and is part of the ongoing effort to see his
safe return home.

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IDF targets electricity transformer station in Gaza Strip
(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)

Wednesday 28/06/2006 17:01

The IDF carried out an aerial attack on an electricity transformer
station south of Gaza city early this morning, June 28, 2006.

The IDF will continue to employ all means at its disposal against
Palestinian terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip in order to
ensure the quick and safe return home of Corporal Gilad Shalit.

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IDF targets bridge in central Gaza Strip as part of ongoing effort to
return kidnapped soldier
(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)

Wednesday 28/06/2006 16:57

Following the attack against an IDF post inside Israel on Sunday June
25, 2006 in which two IDF soldiers were killed and a third kidnapped,
the IDF carried out an aerial attack early this morning, June 28,
2006, of a bridge in the central Gaza Strip.

The objective of targeting this bridge was to impair the terrorists'
ability to transfer the kidnapped soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit, to
other areas.

The IDF will continue to act with determination and to employ all
means at its disposal to combat terrorists and their infrastructure,
in order to defend the citizens of Israel, and will continue to make
every effort to return Corporal Shalit home quickly and safely.

The Palestinian Authority, led by the democratically elected Hamas
government, is fully responsible for any attacks emanating from the
Gaza Strip, and Israel holds it responsible for the safe and quick
return of Corporal Shalit.

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Posted with permission by Dr. Mike Cohen http://www.gogalil.com

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