On Day 17 of Op, Israel Proves “It’s Weaker than a Spider’s Web”

Hanan Awarekeh Readers Number : 177

12/01/2009

After 17 days of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, Israel failed to achieve its announced goal, which is “to stop the rocket attacks fired from the Strip into the Israeli settlements”, and the Palestinian resistance groups have continued to rain the occupied territories with tens of rockets putting the Israeli government in an embarrassing situation before the entire world.

Instead of restoring the image of the “invincible army” that had lost during the Second Lebanon War in July 2006, Israel has proved, now than ever, that “it is weaker than a spider’s web”, as Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah has always said.

The Israeli occupation army continued its offensive against the Palestinians in the Strip over night and Monday morning, attacking dozens of targets across the territory and killing more civilians as the death toll reached over 900 martyrs, including 280 children, and around 4100 injured.

Israeli army ground forces - comprising infantry, tanks, combat engineers, artillery and intelligence -were assisted by aerial attacks during the overnight aggression.

The Israeli Navy accompanied the ground forces during the raids, yet they were faced with fierce battles from the Palestinian resistance fighters. Palestinian medical officials said some 60 Palestinians martyred in Gaza on Sunday, including 17 who succumbed to their wounds from days earlier.

The occupation army on Sunday began deploying reservist troops to the Gaza Strip, for the first time since Israel began its offensive on the coastal territory on Dec. 27.

“Operation Cast Lead's” third phase has yet to be officially declared, but the military has reportedly begun incorporating some of its reserve forces in the fighting.

Sunday saw Israeli defense establishment officials brief the cabinet on the progress of the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert assured the ministers that despite the UN Security Council's decision on the Gaza offensive, Israel was not ready to back down: "Israel is fast approaching the goals set for the operation, but we need patience, determination and courage if we want to achieve those goals in a way that would change the security realities in the south… We cannot miss what such an unprecedented national effort has achieved."