Tuesday, June 27, 2006

IDF News Roundup for Tuesday Morning 27/6/06

4 Kassams land in w. Negev; IDF tanks, infantry deployed around GS

Four Kassam rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel
on Monday night, with one of them landing on an electricity pole in
Sderot, lightly wounding four people and cutting off electricity to
the neighborhood in which Defense Minister Amir Peretz lives. The four
injured people were treated at the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, and
a team of workers restored electricity to the area.

In all, two rockets fell in Sderot, while two others landed in the
western Negev.

Tanks reinforced by IDF infantry have been deployed around the Gaza
Strip and they are ready for a massive ground operation if the
government decides that this is necessary following the killing of two
soldiers and the abduction of a third soldier by Palestinian gunmen in
an attack on the IDF post at Kerem Shalom on Sunday.

Israel Radio 27.06.2006 09:20

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US, France call for soldier's release while urging government restraint

The United States, France and other countries have called for the
immediate release of Corporal Gilad Shalit, who also has French
citizenship.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack noted that
there are a lot of parties working to resolve the issue, and he urged
Israel and the Palestinian leadership to exercise restraint and avoid
steps which would further escalate the situation.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Israel to give diplomacy a
chance to win the release of Shalit. Speaking to reporters in
Scotland, where she landed for a refuelling stop en route to Pakistan,
Rice said, "There really needs to be an effort now to try and calm the
situation, not to let the situation escalate, and to give diplomacy a
chance to work to try to get this release." She added that there is a
concerted international effort to win the soldier's freedom.

Israel Radio 27.06.2006 09:22

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IDF dismisses reports PRC abducted settler

The IDF has dismissed Palestinian reports that an unidentified settler
was abducted in the West Bank on Monday night. The Palestinian news
agency quoted the Popular Resistance Committees as saying it had
kidnapped a settler, but provided no further details.

Israel Radio 27.06.2006 09:21

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France, Egypt join efforts to secure safe release of kidnapped soldier

Intensive efforts continue to try to secure the release of Corporal
Gilad Shalit, the 19-year-old soldier who was abducted in Sunday's
raid on the army outpost near Kerem Shalom on the Israelis side in the
southern Gaza Strip.

France has said it has made contact with "all concerned parties,"
regarding the release of Shalit, who holds dual Israeli-French
citizenship. An embassy spokesperson said French officials in Paris
have been in touch with Palestinian officials, and that the French
ambassador plans to meet with relatives of the soldier later Monday.

Egypt has also been involved in the mediation efforts. Emissaries in
Gaza reportedly made contact via a mediator with Shalit's captors, and
offered medical assistance for the soldier. It was not immediately
clear whether the captors accepted the offer. Reuters quotes one
mediator as saying that they have been told that Shalit is in good
condition and is being treated well.

Haaretz on Monday morning quoted Gaza-based diplomats as saying they
know both where the soldier is being held and the organization
affiliation of the captors but would not relay the information to the
paper. The sources said he is in good condition.

There were conflicting reports Monday morning over who is holding
Shalit. One of the groups involved in Sunday's attack, the Popular
Resistance Committees, denied an earlier media report that it is
holding the soldier. A spokesman for the group said it had no
information about him.

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas has called for Shalit's release.

The Hamas government spokesman, Ghazi Hamed, says he has heard that
Shalit is in good condition and that his captors are treating him
well. Speaking on Reshet Bet, Hamed said the Hamas government would
like for the crisis over the kidnapping to be resolved quickly and
quietly. If Israel avoids an esclataion of the situation, Hamed said,
a solution could be found. Hamed said the Palestinian government is in
contact with "all of the parties" but said he has no information on
the kidnappers demands. In earlier comments broadcast on CNN, Hamed
urged the captors to treat Shalit well.

Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni briefed members of the diplomatic corps
in Jerusalem on Monday morning. She asked them to press Palestinian
Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and the Hamas-led government to release
Shalit.

Meanwhile, the IDF chief of staff has appointed General Giora Eiland
(res) as head of the team that will investigate the attack at Kerem
Shalom. The team is to submit its findings by July 10.

Israel Radio 26.06.2006 13:35

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Army demolishes tunnel used in Palestinian raid

IDF troops Monday morning demolished the tunnel used by the
Palestinian gunmen to infiltrate the army post near Kerem Shalom.

Israel Radio 26.06.2006 13:35

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PRC carries out Kerem Shalom attack planned by assassinated chief

The London-based newspaper Al-Hayat reports that the Sunday's attack
at Kerem Shalom was planned by the commander of the Popular Resistance
Committees, Jamal Abu Samhadana, before he was assassinated by Israel
several weeks ago.

According to the report, members of the group decided to carry out the
raid to avenge the killing of Abu Samhadana and the head of the
group's military wing, Abdel Kuka.

Israel Radio 26.06.2006 13:35

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Communications from IDF Spokesperson for 27/6/06

(08:30 27/06/2006)
IDF forces arrested 43 wanted Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.

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(08:29 27/06/2006)
Palestinians opened fire at an IDF force operating in Silat Al
Harithiya, northwest of Jenin. No injuries or damage was reported.

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Chief of Staff Appoints team to Investigate Sunday's Events

Monday 26/06/2006 17:37

The Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Dan Halutz, commanded the
establishment of a professional investigation team in order to
investigate the circumstances and the events that occurred on Sunday,
25/6/06. At the head of the investigating team will be the former head
of the National Security Council, the Major General in reserves Giora
Island.

Yesterday (Sunday, 25/06/06) a terrorist cell composed of terrorists
active in the Hamas and Popular Resistance Committees organizations
infiltrated into Israeli territory in the area of Kerem Shalom and
Sufa crossings. The terrorists infiltrated Israel through a tunnel
that originated from the Rafah area. The terrorists used mortar and
anti-tank firing methods, and attacked military targets, among them a
tank. IDF forces returned fire on the forces, killing at least two
terrorists. During the event two soldiers were killed, Lieutenant
Hanan Barak, 20 years old from Arad, and First Sergeant Pavel
Slutsker, 20 years old, from Dimona. Corporal Gilad Shalit has been
missing since the event.

This morning (Monday, 26/06/06) IDF forces detonated the tunnel which
was used during the terrorist infiltration into the Kerem Shalom area
yesterday. IDF forces uncovered the opening of the tunnel inside a
Palestinian house located about 350 meters from the fence, and the
length of the tunnel is about 650 meters.

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Weapon Smuggle Attempt Thwarted

Two swimmers attempting to cross the Egyptian border into the Gaza
strip were identified on Thursday (22/06/06), while they were carrying
weapons. An attempt to stop the two was made while they were still on
the Egyptian side of the border, with full cooperation from the
Egyptian Border Guard.

After the two crossed the border and entered the Gaza strip, warning
shots were fired in their direction, and after they did not respond a
shooting was conducted against one of the smugglers. During the
shooting the smuggler was about 100 meters from the beach. The second
smuggler was not fired at out of concern of injuring people not
involved in the incident, since he was closer to the populated area
along the beach. Due to the shooting the two abandoned the weapons.

According to Ashdod base commander, Colonel Yoram Lax, "there is a
higher possibility of smuggling weapons through the sea. The sector in
which we operate is characterized by recurring terror organization
efforts to smuggle weapons. "We spend most of our efforts on thwarting
such smuggle attempts out of the understanding that there is a greater
possibility to smuggle larger amounts of weapons through the sea."

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Additional Findings Confirm: Shrapnel Not from IDF Shell

The Investigative Committee headed by Major General Meir Kalifi
continues to investigate the causes of the June 9 explosion on the
coast of Gaza.

"I can say unequivocally that all findings to date confirm the central
conclusion of the Investigative Committee: that the incident did not
result from fire by IDF forces that day," Major General Kalifi said
this evening.

An additional piece of shrapnel was removed during surgery on Adham
Ralya on Wednesday, June 14, and was sent for initial analysis by the
IDF Technology Unit. "Examination of the second piece of shrapnel,"
said Major General Kalifi, "proves conclusively that this was not a
155-mm shell. As also has been demonstrated by the first piece of
shrapnel, based on analysis of the composition and content of the
shrapnel, and of course on examination of the explosive compounds
found on the second piece, evidence of 155-mm shells was clearly
absent."

All new evidence obtained to date thus confirms the central conclusion
of the Investigative Committee: that the event did not result from IDF
fire during the day's operations.

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New Feature: Today in IDF History
(Communicated by IDF Spokesperson)

39 years ago, today (27/6/67): Pilots return from captivity

Two Air Force pilots, Captains Yitzchak Galantz-Golan and Gideon Dror,
returned from captivity in Iraq. The two, who were shot down while
attacking airfield 3H in Iraq, were released in exchange for 428
Jordanian prisoners.

36 years ago, today (27/6/70): Battles with Syria

During two days of battles in the Golan, Syrian military bases near
Damascus and Sawida were bombarded; border posts were temporarily
besieged; 25 tanks were destroyed and one captured; four Mig fighters
were shot down; 200 Syrian soldiers were wounded, dozens killed, and
38 taken captive. IDF losses: 10 killed, 27 wounded, and an Israeli
aircraft was shot down and its pilot taken captive. The operation met
its goals. Aggression in the Syrian sector was curbed, and the Syrian
border remained quiet for three years.

30 years ago, today (27/6/76): Air France Jet Hijacked

An Air France aircraft that had been on its way from Lod to Paris with
258 passengers aboard was hijacked after a stop in Athens and flown to
Benghazi, Libya, and then on to Entebbe, Uganda. The hijackers
demanded the release of terrorists imprisoned in Israel, Germany,
Switzerland, and Kenya. The hijacking was done by the terrorist
organization of Wadia Hadad, with the support of Ugandan leader Idi
Amin. During the IDF's counterattack in Entebbe, the captives were
freed. The operation was executed quickly and successfully. The seven
terrorists were killed. Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Netanyahu,
commander of the Israeli force, was mortally wounded during the battle
and one soldier, Surin Hershko, was seriously wounded. Three of the
captives were killed and six wounded. An additional captive, Dora
Bloch, had been taken to a Ugandan hospital and was murdered there.

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Posted by Dr. Mike Cohen http://www.gogalil.com with
permission of IDF and Israel Radio

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