Israeli Ground Forces Cross Gaza Border

U.S. Blocks Security Council Resolution Condemning The Violence, But Secretary General, Others Speak Out

(CBS/AP)  Israeli tanks and infantry pushed into Gaza after nightfall Saturday, launching a much anticipated ground offensive in a widening war on Gaza's Hamas rulers.

CBS News correspondent Robert Berger reports that Israeli tanks and troops are crossing the border, and that there are approximately 10,000 Israeli soldiers deployed on the Gaza frontier, including elite infantry units, the engineering corps and special forces.

Gun battles could be heard, as troops crossed the border into Gaza. Local TV networks broadcast images of troops marching single file. The troops were also backed by helicopter gunships.

Israeli security officials said the operation is likely to go on, but that the objective is not to reoccupy Gaza. The depth and intensity will also depend on parallel diplomatic efforts, the officials said.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel's campaign "won't be easy and it won't be short."

"We do not seek war but we will not abandon our citizens to the ongoing Hamas attacks," Barak said in a televised address.

With Israeli ground forces in Gaza, the French government - in its role as president of the Security Council - called emergency consultations late Saturday, reports CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk.

But the United States blocked approval of a Security Council statement calling for an immediate Israeli-Hamas cease-fire in Gaza and southern Israel and expressing serious concern at the escalation of violence.

U.S. deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff said the United States saw no prospect of Hamas abiding by last week's council call for an immediate end to the violence. Therefore, he said, a new statement at this time "would not be adhered to and would have no underpinning for success, would not do credit to the council."

France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert, the current council president, announced that there was no agreement on a statement though he said there were "strong convergences" among the 15 members to express serious concern about the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the need for "an immediate, permanent and fully respected cease-fire."

Arab nations demanded that the council adopt a presidential statement calling for an immediate cease-fire following Israel's launch of the ground offensive.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had made the same plea earlier Saturday.

Ban said in a statement that he was "deeply concerned over the serious further escalation" of violence in Gaza.

The statement said Ban had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "and conveyed his extreme concern and disappointment" at the invasion.

Libya's U.N. Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi, the only Arab member of the council, said that during the closed council discussions on the proposed presidential statement, the United States said it objected to "any outcome." He said efforts were made to compromise and agree on a weaker press statement but "unfortunately" there was no consensus.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and several Arab foreign ministers are flying to New York over the weekend to urge the Security Council to adopt an Arab draft resolution that would condemn Israel and demand a halt to its bombing campaign in Gaza.

The Israeli government, meanwhile, said that tens of thousands of reserve soldiers are being mobilized. The military did not give out specific numbers, but it said it has expanded a call-up of some 9,000 reserve soldiers that began earlier this week.

Some of these reservists are being mobilized as a warning to Palestinian militants in the West Bank and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon who fought a monthlong war with Israel in the summer of 2006.

Berger says that Israeli forces plan to seize control of Hamas rocket launching sites, which is a risky move - Hamas has dug in to bunkers and tunnels, and is well-armed.

Israeli army spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich said it would be an extensive operation. "We have many, many targets," she said, adding that Hamas has been digging smuggling tunnels and other facilities. "To my estimation, it will be a lengthy operation," she said.

Heavy gun battles were reported as troops crossed the border into Gaza. Local TV networks broadcast images of troops marching into Gaza after dark.

A Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan, appeared on Hamas' Al Aqsa TV and said that Gaza will "become a graveyard" for Israeli soldiers.

An SMS message sent by Hamas' military wing, Izzedine al-Qassam, said that "the Zionists started approaching the trap which our fighters prepared for them."

Hamas said it also broadcast a Hebrew message on Israeli military radio frequencies. "Be prepared for a unique surprise, you will be either killed or kidnapped and will suffer mental illness from the horrors we will show you," the message said.

"Hamas is believed to have some 20,000 to 25,000 men under arms, many of which … have trained with Hezbollah in Lebanon and with the Revolutionary Guards in Iran," David Schenker of the Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute told the CBS Evening News.

The Israelis are likely to encounter RPGs, roadside bombs, and booby traps, Schenker said.

But Schenker added that Israel had likely learned a lesson from its less-than-convincing results in its 2006 conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"They learned that their troops were not trained for this type of warfare. They focused on this for the past two years," he said. "They're also not taking half measures here. … They're going to go in full force and I think that’s something they didn’t do in Lebanon in 2006 and that’s why you had type of result that you had."

Defense officials have said around 10,000 soldiers massed along the border in recent days. Heavy artillery fire in the early evening was intended to detonate Hamas explosive devices and mines planted along the border area before troops marched in.

Israel's offensive against Hamas had begun with a week of aerial bombardment of Hamas targets, in an attempt to halt Hamas rocket attacks on Israel. However, Hamas kept firing at Israeli towns.

Israel initially held off on a ground offensive, apparently in part because of concern about casualties among Israeli troops and because of fears of getting bogged down in Gaza. Hamas leaders have warned that they have prepared a violent welcome. They have also threatened to resume suicide attacks inside Israel.

Israeli tanks and infantry soldiers entered Gaza after dark, but stayed close to the border area, witnesses said. Heavy artillery fire hit east of Gaza City, in locations where Hamas fighters were deployed.

The Israelis were also backed by helicopter gunships.

There were tentative signs that the phase of aerial attacks was nearing its end; most of the recent airstrikes targeted empty buildings and abandoned sites, suggesting the Israeli air force was running out of targets.

One airstrike on Saturday, on a mosque in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, killed 13 people and wounded 33 others, several in critical condition.

More than 440 Palestinians have been killed in the past week and the U.N. says that more than 2,000 have been wounded, "a significant number of them" women and children.

Four Israelis have also been killed, and rocket attacks on southern Israel persist.

Early Saturday, the army preceded airstrikes with a drop of leaflets in downtown Gaza City asking people to evacuate.

But, as CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar noted, most have absolutely no place to go … and there is no place anyone could be sure to be safe.

[wtcmedic911]

Go gettim boys!!! time to take out the GARBAGE.

[spinproof]

Its no secret Hamas is sponsored by Iran. I hope this excessive response by Israel against Hamas firing rockets into Israel is not designed to provoke Iran into getting directly involved so that the U.S. and Israel has the opening and cover they need to attack Iran before the Bush administration steps down. Israel always has the right to defend itself which I support, but I don''t support Israel using excessive and over the top responses to attacks that don''t match or comes close to matching what is required. Israel does not need to send in waves of F16s because some kid threw a rock for example, pure overkill.

[photty-2009]

So now begins the Final Solution.....the genocide against the last symbolic resistance against the occupation. Having failed to marginalise and humiliate the Palestinians into leaving the Holy Land, the boming, shelling, bulldozing with our (US)F16s and cluster bombs begins. Mr Bush and his appointed stooge Abbu Abbas saying that the Peace Process cannot continue until the last vestige of resistance is wiped out.

[paulfromnc]

It''s about time. There are no civilians in Palestine. You vote for a terrorist govt., then you are a terrorist.

[notfooled]

It doesn''t really make much sense to think you can convince someone to stop fighting by murdering their children.

If that is the current thinking behind this overkill offensive, then someone is not thinking rationally.

My guess is this is a simple precursor to get Iran involved to give the Bush/Cheney crime syndicate an excuse to really open the store and rack up big-time military industrial profits in their plan for never-ending war

[abrame]

The world is protesting you, Israel. Do you hear them?
Posted by william274

Not the world, a bunch of terrorist sympathizers are protesting. No one cares about these terrorist lapdog losers.

[abrame]

''''As the Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir once said: "Peace will come to the Middle East when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us."''''

What kind of a weird thing to say is that? Holding someone else''s kid hostage.

Posted by william274

Yup, that''s what you terrorists are doing. The world is tired of you terrorists.

[abrame]

It doesn''t really make much sense to think you can convince someone to stop fighting by murdering their children.

Posted by notfooled

Tell Hamas, they are the one that invests in terror rockets.

[abrame]

Posted by sockpuppet4

Lying Terrorist lapdog

[p_and]

How would you like someone shelling your backyard every day with rockets? No one has any right to criticize Israel for stopping that intolerable daily harassment. The Gaza Strip has need a full-body *** for a long time, it''s time to flush out all the .....

[abrame]

Do you care what people think about you?

Posted by william274

People yes, terrorists no.

[abrame]

"Yup, that''s what you terrorists are doing. The world is tired of you terrorists."
The world is tired of senseless war!
Posted by william274

Tell Hamas

[abrame]

''''Tell Hamas''''

What gives you the right to be so final? At who''''s expense? Yer not impressing anybody, mister.

Posted by william274

I have the right to say anything, according to you.

[longtree-2009]

Yeah man! Go get''em Israel! Kick behind and take names. Take it to them and show them what happens when they attack you! Give no quarter, take no prisoners. these attacking palestinians, hamas see truces, peace accords, peace agreements as a sign of weakness of their enemies. Attack, attack, attack and destroy anyone that does not surrender unconditionally. Get''em and get''em good!

[divitius]

So, why couldn''t they go after the rocket sites WITHOUT blasting a bunch of people into jelly? Cowards.

[itdfactsu]

I have the right to say anything, according to you.



Posted by Abrame at 02:59 PM : Jan 03, 2009

If you were smart you''d shut-up though but you''re not so continue with your lame comments

[lewiston14]

The world is protesting you, Israel. Do you hear them?

Posted by william274

The real question is do they care? I would think not.

[cabbate3]

I don%u2019t get what the problem is? I really could care less about either one of these countries (other than how the crisis affects our country and the world) but hamas is targeting Israel with rockets. Furthermore they fail to recognize Israel as a country and if I%u2019m not mistake advocate for the annihilation of not only Israel but all Jews? Can you imagine if Canada started shooting rockets into our country and had the same view of Americans? We would do the same. If someone has some other reasoning I would love to hear it as I have not read much from the Palestinian standpoint (don%u2019t think there is much out there). However it is my understanding the Israel kicked the Palestinians buts in two past wars and it seems to me that the Palestinians are being babies about their situation. If they would have just accepted that the Israelis had a right to live in their territory they probably would have been assimilated into the culture by now and there wouldn%u2019t be any issues. It seems they have brought this on themselves. They''ve chosen a path of hate and terror so it seems to me they deserve what their getting plus some.

[ballpen1]

It was a mistake to allow Hamas to take part in the elections. If they are terrorists (and from what i have seen i have to say it sure looks like so) they don''t have any part in these matters.

It was an even _bigger_ mistake to jail and isolate the Hamas leadership once they where elected. That send a clear message to all Palestinians and to every member of Hamas: "No matter what you do, we will deal with you like we choose to!".

What to do now? I don''t know. I fear the worst. Of cause the IDF can''t be beaten by Hamas. But also Israel can never be safe as long as there are fanatics and terrorists around. The logical solution is to wipe out Hamas, and that means to wipe out every Palestinian, men, wimmen and children. That''s the logic of hate and violence. That''s what you get from being unwilling to accept your neighbor as a free man with his own rights (and not bombing his airport, blocking his borders, sky and coast, isolating and suffocating him!).

Now that Israel have shown them over and over and over again that they are not really interested in peace and fairness there are only hardliners left and mothers giving birth to bombs. What Israel will be doing in the next days will be recorded in the history books, and in case they don''t come to their senses in time it might stand there beside the deeds of Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot.

[abrame]

Posted by Abrame at 02:59 PM : Jan 03, 2009

If you were smart you''''d shut-up though but you''''re not so continue with your lame comments

Posted by itdfactsu

No one is as lame as a conspiracy theorist who can''t prove their case. You go one for hours with your lame Jew bashing but all you''ve done is hate Jews.

You''ve proven nothing except you hate Jews.

[moas777]

its quite strange how israel wants the world to remember hitler''s aggression against them and yet now they have become the modern day natzi''s!! 7 story building should not be bombed if one hamas member has rented an apt. in it? as long is isreal has a army-less people to find against, their very brave however, if the battle field is a bit level lets see how brave these p...y''s really are???

[itdfactsu]

Posted by Abrame at 03:08 PM : Jan 03, 2009


No facts just spook propaganda from you as usual

[cabbate3]

who cares how much damage there causing -- THERE ROCKETS and the intent is to cause damage??? right?

[robhood1941]

In other news, it was announced that to protect Hamas commanders from danger, they were being evacuated to Switzerland.

Hamas has goaded Israel to attack on the ground by continuing to send endless missiles into Israel. With Israeli''s in Gaza, Hamas hopes to maximize Israeli casualties. Now that Hamas gets their wish it''s leaders act as the cowards they are and run for the hills.

[abrame]

Posted by Abrame at 03:08 PM : Jan 03, 2009
No facts just spook propaganda from you as usual
Posted by itdfactsu

Whatever.

[lewiston14]

BTW there will not be much urban warfare. They will just keep knocking down buildings till there are none left. This is how out of control it will get. Iran sticking its nose in anything gives the US the perfect excuse to just carpet bomb the entire country. Israel does not have the means%u2026. The US does.

[abrame]

It is Israel who won''''t accept their neighbor (the Palestinians). And it is Israel that is the aggressor in this totally one-sided struggle.
Posted by fcuk_Israel

**** you and your terrorist buddies.

[edipatte]

Where were you when Hamas was bombing Israel. I say "go Israel" also.

[cabbate3]

i dont think its only republicans that support isreal - im pretty far left and i think im with isreal on this one. but do agree with you on the republican white trash comment.

[abrame]

TIME TO GET RID OF ALL REPUBLICON WHITE TRASH!
Posted by ConDumbistan

Another screetching racist bigot speaks.

[cabbate3]

well not the get rid of part - but i do think most of their values are off base

[robhood1941]

The US will NOT attack Iran. That is not in our national interest.

[abrame]

What do you expect. He''''s sitting at the Menachem Begin Jew Terrorist Bomber School posting his pasty white European Jew in Palestine propaganda.
Posted by FloydZeppd

It''s the liar

[prelgovisk]

I am not Jewish, but I see that Israel is morally superior to her enemies. I don''t see Hamas calling ahead and warning civilians to evacuate.

[cabbate3]

what do you mean of course Iran is in our national interest we just dont have enough resourses or we probably would have - we should have gone there instead of iraq - if we were going to go anywhere

[abrame]

Q: Why are all the Jews in Palestine Pasty White?
A: Its because they''''re all illegal European Jewish immigrants infesting Palestine.
Posted by FloydZeppd

Liar

[paulfromnc]

There are no civilians in Gaza. If you vote in a terrorist govt., you are a terrorist.

[notfooled]

It doesn''t really make much sense to think you can convince someone to stop fighting by murdering their children.

If that is the current thinking behind this overkill offensive, then someone is not thinking rationally.

My guess is this is a simple precursor to get Iran involved to give the Bush/Cheney crime syndicate an excuse to really open the store and rack up big-time military industrial profits in their plan for never-ending war

[abrame]

Nope. Its History. European Jews, fresh out of Nazi Concentration Camps infested Palestine in 1948. That''''s just fact sweet pea.
Posted by FloydZeppd

Liar

[skydrifter1]

So, contrary to the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, UN Charter & UN Mandates,Israel holds onto Palestinian land, following the war, then declares those who would fight to reclaim it as "terrorists."

Now, Isreal cries, "Mommy! Mommy! Billy hit me back; no fair!"

The world media now holds Hamas accountable for essentially throwing rocks & spears at a mini super-power, which flattens Gaza with the finest war machinery going.

I don''t blame Israel for being angry, but they have resorted to the very thing which they claimed was a War Crime during the Nazi regime.

Warsaw Ghetto or Gaza Ghetto, what''s the diference? It comes down to PR - sucks to be you, Palestine!

This latest operation could precipitate another Israeli-Arab War. God help us all.

[moas777]

ever since the jews turned their backs on Moses and denied Jesus (blessing be upon both of them) God has said the jews will Never see or live in Peace. the christians are only on your side today because they beleive when Jesus returns you will have the choice of accepting him or be slaughtered!!! stop with your greed and abuse of the weak and oppressed!!!!

[abrame]

Nope. Sorry. History.
Posted by FloydZeppd

Liar

[cabbate3]

isnt the point that they lost the war and their territory and from what i can gather pretty fair and square based on a tactical error on their own part. so you lost it get over it. time to assimulate or be labled a terrorist.

[abrame]

And you''''re a Brazillian Green Card wetbaack. You''''re irrelevant.
Posted by FloydZeppd

Liar

[on_alert247]

The Israeli''s waited to long to take care of Hamas; they are too beholding to what the Europeans think. Like the Europeans give a d*mn about supporting a culture of hate and bigotry.

[abrame]

Nope. History. Deal with it sweet pea.
European Jews fresh out of Nazi Concentration Camps infested Palestine. That''''s why they''''re all pasty white over there.
Posted by FloydZeppd

Liar

[robhood1941]

To support Israel is the opposite of the Nazi''s that ConDumbistan suggests. The Palestinians were closely associated with Hitler during WWII to the point that they toured the gas chambers from above while they be used. It is likely that ConDumbistan is mournful of the fact that the Nazi''s weren''t as efficient as they could have been.

[notfooled]

It doesn''t really make much sense to think you can convince someone to stop fighting by murdering their children.

[abrame]

It''s easy to have a conversation with liar FloydZeppd.

You only need to know words like liar, racist, bigot.

[ballpen1]

cabbate3: maybe you should read about how modern Israel was founded. The Palestinians where there before, for thousends of years and in relative peace, while the jews where strewn across the world (Diaspora). Even the British, "caretakers" of the region, where opposed to the jews takeing back their "holy land", i guess they knew what was going to happen. Israel was under attack from day one but survived because of their religious fanatism. THEY where the original invaders, THEY where the original terrorists, and their organisational structure from those days match the structure of Hamas ONE TO ONE!

I do understand that the jews needed a state of their own, after the holocaust they couldn''t trust anybody any longer, but taking it by force? That poisoned the whole middle east, up until now! What they did was like us after 9/11: we had the support of the whole world for the tragedy that had happend, but we blew it on an war of aggression against an country that had nothing to do with it. That''s EXACTLY what the jews did!

I say this to Israel: talk to Egypt, Syria and the others in the region about assimilating the Palestinians. Pay them off for their land, and be fair about it. Get rid of these troublesome zones of Gaza and the West Bank and shorten your borders.

But to do that one would have to be trusted, one would have to have good relations. And one would have to have respect for Arabs...