IDF Invasion of Gaza Imminent?

Middle East | Sat, Jan 3, 2009 at 9:01:48 am PST

The IDF may be about to launch that ground invasion of Gaza: IDF begins shelling northern Gaza for 1st time since op began.

For the first time since the start of Operation Cast Lead, the IDF began firing artillery shells into northern Gaza on Saturday afternoon, IDF officials said.

According to reports, the artillery units were attacking targets in northern Gaza from where Palestinian terrorists had been firing rockets at southern Israel. The shelling was seen as a possible signal that a ground invasion could be nearing.

Warplanes, gunboats and artillery units blasted more than 40 Hamas targets throughout Saturday, including weapons storage facilities, training centers and Hamas leaders’ homes.

Air strikes that had waned during the day gathered pace after dark. One raid hit a mosque in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, killing 10 people and wounding 33, seven critically, according to a Palestinian health official. Other Palestinian reports said that the mosque was hit by an artillery shell.

The IAF also hit a mosque in northern Gaza and the home of senior Hamas commander Abu Zacharia Al-Jamal. A Hamas spokesman announced that al-Jamal was killed in the attack, which would make him the third senior operative in the group to be targeted in the past three days.

Fox News is reporting that Israeli tanks are repositioning around the Gaza border.