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Please say a prayer for the safety of our soldiers.
(photo from Reuters)
Additional New posts from today can be found below this post.
As a general rule we will try and keep operational details to a minimum, that includes troop movements and the exact location of rocket hits. If items are reported in the Mainstream Israeli Media we will report them as well.
12:23 AM Dear Readers -- its late, I need sleep. Some of us from the Muqata Crew will be up later to update. Hopefully the IDF censor will allow us to report on more of this past evenings events. Thanks again for your support, and good wishes to the people of Israel and the brave soldiers of the IDF.
Your emails are greatly appreciated [and thanks to those of you who made some donations!]
As always, we will try to provide accurate, up to date, information of the war in Israel, while keeping within the directives of the IDF military censor.
We're doing our part, to help with the war on the information front, while the IDF does it's job in Gaza.
Good Night from Israel - Sincerely Yours,
The Muqata Crew
muqata @ gmail . com
12:16 AM MDA transporting 2 seriously wounded by gunfire. Police are certain, knowing the victims, and the shooter's identity, that this was a criminal event.
12:15 AM Reports of 2 wounded seriously in Kiryat Motzkin - police in chase after suspected shooter. They say its a criminal act, not a terror act. Details to follow.
12:14 AM - Updated: Shotting attack, criminal in nature, in the Krayot (Haifa area). Shots fired at Tzomet Tzabar (Tzabar intersection). IDF, Police, Counter Terror Units, MDA, Haztala Emergency Units Responding. Reports of wounded on the scene.
11:56 PM Yet more proof of Hamas using civilians and their homes for military use. Yes, I know you want more information from what happened this evening. I'm not at libery to disclose it yet.
11:47 PM In light of the situation in Gaza, the IDF Judea and Samaria regional district commander issues warning to Jewish residents; avoid hitch-hiking, be extremely vigilant. I was called away from blogging this evening for an emergency drill of a simulated terror attack.
All Israeli media outlets firmly complying with IDF censor's orders. This is probably a first, and a noticable change from the second Lebanon war.
11:21 PM Al Jazeera reporting information that violates IDF censorship, and is not fully accurate.
11:15 PM Still unable to provide more updates (sorry) However, Hamas is on the ropes. Hamas begs UN security council to impose on Israel a cease fire. (AP)
10:45 PM Important Update: Out of respect for the IDF Military Censor, we are unable to print more details about this evenings IDF ground operation in Northern Gaza. We'll provide details as soon as the censor allows...
10:34 PM Captured terrorist moved to Seroka hospital.
JoeSettler signing off for a few hours of sleep. Jameel is now back on.
10:17 PM (Sorry for slow updates, internet access is slowing down all over Israel)
10:13 PM Released for publication: IDF Border Gaurd prevented terror attack today near Dimona, by bodily stopping a terrorist on a bus from making it go over a cliff.
10:10 PM The massive IAF bombing raids this afternoon and evening on the smuggling tunnels beneath the Philidephi corridor, could be due to the information we posted about Hamas smuggling in Fajr-4 70-kilomter range rockets.
10:03 PM All wounded from the operation retrieved and evacuated to hospitals. Massive fire was part of rescue and extraction operation.
IDF military censor continuing to blackout parts of the operation and the Muqata blog is complying with IDF orders.
10:01 PM All injured IDF soldiers retrieved from Northern Gaza (number of injured still classified).
9:57 PM Israeli Intelligence sources say that Hamas succeeded in bringing in Fajr-4 missiles into Gaza. These missiles have a 70 km range and can reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Hamas is trying to get these missiles into Northern Gaza right now. (Rotter)
9:52 PM Electricity to Gaza completely cut off.
9:49 PM 40 tunnels bombed along Philadelphia Route earlier this evening.
9:27 PM Still no updates on Northern Gaza.
8:54 PM Kassams lands in Eshkol and Negev. No injuries.
8:26 PM 2 wounded in West Negev by Kassam fire. 1 light. 1 moderate.
8:25 PM TOTAL MEDIA BLACKOUT on the fighting in Northern Gaza. Not an issue of military censorship, rather zero information of IDF op leaving the scene of the fighting. 4 Rockets land in Ashkelon in the past half hour.
8:06 PM Massive fighting going in Northern Gaza. Artillery, helicopters, tank fire. Like a scene out of Star Wars.
8:01 PM Israel Foreign Ministry announces that Gaza Strip hospitals are being utilized as Hamas Operational Centers
7:53 PM Heavy exchange of fire right now in North Gaza.
7:50 PM 7 IDF soldiers injured earlier in the afternoon in North Gaza. 4 moderately 3 slightly.
7:45 PM Packed building in Gaza attacked, no further details available yet. Not clear who is in the building.
7:05 PM 2 rockets at Sha'ar Hanegev. No casualties.
7:04 PM Reports of intensive fighting in Gaza City between IDF troops and Hamas terrorists. IDF artillery pounding away at Hamas targets in Northern Gaza. Channel 10 (Or Heller) reports of over 100 Hamas terrorists captured by IDF.
5:04 PM Israel Channel 10 reports that IDF urban combat troops have entered Gaza City.
Additional reports say that IDF has captured dozens of Hamas terrorists over the past 48 hours.
4:46 PM Hamas lets loose an earth shattering threat:
If the IDF continues its operation, we promise to hit [with missiles] Tel Aviv, Rishon L'Zion and Rechovot. (reported by Ehud Ya'ari, Channel 2, Israel TV)
Its reports like this that remind me of this video -- If the IDF made Cheesey Videos like Hamas does...
4:27 PM Pictures from Day 10 of the war.
in Beer Sheva's Seroka Hospital
4:08 PM Firebombs thrown at Jewish motorists by Palestinians near the community of Beitar Illit. No injuries. IDF and police in pursuit.
4:00 PM MDA and United Hatzala volunteers continue to evacuate shell shocked wounded from the GRAD rocket strike on Ashdod.
3:48 PM Miracle in Ashdod Gazan "Grad" rocket scores direct hit on an empty kindergarten. No injuries, but lots of damage.
3:38 PM So far, many Ashdod people in shell-shock from rocket attack -- taken to hospitals. Teams searching for additional wounded.
3:24 PM Rocket lands in Ashdod. Emergency Teams responding as well.
3:19 PM Rockets landing in Ashkelon, Emergency teams responding.
3:12 PM Palestinian protestors attack pro-Israel demonstrators in San Francisco, CA. (Video from this past Friday)
3:09 PM Channel 2 Israel TV (Nir Dvori) reports that IDF forces captured 5 Hamas terrorists.
3:08 PM As of now, 32 Gazan rockets launched today at Israel.
2:26 PM Gaza Redux. The current "cast-lead" operation is not the first operation against Gaza. In the 1956 Sinai Campaign, the IDF was forced to attack Gaza to respond to ongoing shelling by Egyptian forces and to rebuff murderous attacks by Fedayeen terrorists (keeping mind of course, that all this was before the 1967 war, before "Palestinians" existed.).
During the Sinai campaign, the Gaza Strip was captured by Israeli forces (November 1956), placing a military government in control. Israel then retreated from Sinai and the Gaza Strip under international pressure, completing its evacuation from the Strip on March 6, 1957. The Egyptians returned to the Gaza Strip and set up their own military government. Emergency UN forces (that were formed as part of a UN resolution passed on November 4, 1956) were deployed along the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip. (source, IDF spox)The following historical flier is from November 1956.
"The Will to Win: The First Condition to Victory"
Combat Page number 2
November 1956
Soldiers and Battalion Commanders: We meet again -- old fighters and young, experienced with war and glory from battles in the South and the Negev. We are a massive force of builders and residents, people of the cities and fields, people of work and toil. An Army of bushels and the sword. The IDF will attack Egypt by land, sea and air, a death blow.
Tonight, our forces will attack Gaza!
Gaza: A live limb, torn from the State of Israel. [Now] a punch aimed at Israel, A base for murderous Egpytian [attacks], Fedayeen Center, and a death threat to our security.
And across [from Gaza]: Nachal Oz, Beeri, Kissufim, Nirim, a chain of flourishing settlements, opposite a hostile border. Our settlements continue to work, despite the threats, the rocket shelling and the sacrifices, as they defend with their bodies our Southern border.Southern Settlements: Now Your Time Has Come!
Warriors: Hit our enemies, return, and hit them again!
Until they are destroyed by the sword of our battalion's fighters.
Ahead, towards battle and victory!
[signed] Battalion Commander.
2:21 PM No injuries or damage reported in the rocket strikes from a few minutes ago.2:08 PM Rockets on their way to Asheklon, Air Raid sirens throughout the city.
1:31 PM A tribute to the IDF soldier, Dvir Emanuelof who fell in battle in Gaza yesterday while defending Israel -- written by Israeli blogger, mother of IDF combat soldier, "A Soldier's Mother": The First To Fall.
1:26 PM Emergency Teams from MDA and United Hatzala continue to search for wounded in latest Beer Sheva rocket attack. So far, no wounded reported.
1:23 PM YNET: Syrian newspaper al-Watan reports Lebanese army, UNIFIL to increase patrols in southern Lebanon. UNIFIL officer in Lebanon reportedly speaks with PM Siniora, importuning him to call his army to be on highest possible alert out of concern that 'some might want to launch rockets into Israel'
1:20 PM Earlier today, a Grad/Katyusha rocket landed in the "Hevel Yavneh" region. (source)
1:19 PM Rocket lands in Beer Sheva. Emergency Units responding.
1:16 PM Breaking News: UNIFIL Forces and Lebanese Army forces take up positions in South Lebanon along the Israeli-Lebanese border. (source, YNET, Hebrew)
1:16 PM Rocket on its way to Beer Sheva area, rocket explosion heard in Netivot area.
1:15 PM Additional rocket launched at Ashkelon.
1:13 PM Air Raid Sirens in Ashkelon. Rockets landing.
1:10 PM IDF Troops prepared to enter Gazan cities. Ehud Barak says operation will continue, not all objectives have been reached.
JPost reports: The IDF is prepared to enter urban and built-up areas in the Gaza Strip if the need arises, a senior officer said Monday as military forces completed their deployment in northern Gaza and were surrounding Gaza City.
"This is what the troops have trained for and are designated to do - to fight in densely-populated areas," the senior officer said.
Over the past year, all of the units that have been deployed in Gaza and are scheduled to be deployed have undergone training at the IDF's Ground Forces Command Urban Training Center near Tze'elim. There, the IDF has built a mock-Palestinian city where the forces train on operating in populated areas.
"We built models for them to create for the troops of places they will be inside Gaza," the officer said. "There are places that replicate city outskirts, the casba marketplaces and over-populated refugee camps." (Source)
1:01 PM Toronto Reporter, Oakland Ross describes his brush with a Hamas rocket in Sderot.
"Only a fool ignores an air-raid warning here" (read it here, Toronto Star)
12:44 PM Are you in the Chicago or the Northwest Indiana Region, are pro Israel, know the facts and can defend Israel's position? Need someone for a taped TV interview in the coming days on national US Television. Contact us for more info: muqata @ gmail . com
12:43 PM The smoke covering the Givat Shaul/Har Nof neighborhoods of Jerusalem is from the gas station on Beit Hadfus street which is currently on fire. The cause is still unknown.
12:30 PM Immediate warning for rockets to Beer Sheva area.
12:12 PM Air Raid Siren Test in Netivot, Yavneh, Gedera, Ashdod and Ashkelon. No rockets launched -- it was only a test.
12:11 PM Photos of IAF helicopters around the Negev area. You can see the IDF zeppelin in the middle picture which keeps a watchful eye on everything going on in Gaza.
(source of photos)
12:07 PM Huge barrage of missiles hit Asheklon, Sderot, Ashdod, and Yavneh area. Magen David Adom and United Hatzala treating people for shell-shock. No physical injuries reported.
11:34 AM Pro-IDF Demonstration at entrance to Petach Tikva (Central Israel) -- over a hundred people waving flags and cheering for IDF forces. Passing motorists honking in support.
11:09 AM Israel TV Channel 2 broadcasting classes for high school students stuck at home because schools are closed in the South.
11:03 AM We've reported on it in the past, but Noah Pollak makes a good point.
From the JPost:[IDF officials] said that it was likely that a number of senior Hamas operatives and terror chiefs were hiding and conducting their operations from within Shifa Hosptial in Gaza City.
“Hamas operatives are in the hospital and have disguised themselves as nurses and doctors,” one official explained.
Now the Israelis have done it — they’ve forced Hamas leaders to dress up like nurses. Zionist cruelty knows no bounds.
10:58 AM 36 hours with a Fire fighting crew in the south of Israel.
10:49 AM YR sends in some pictures from Pro-Israel rally in Miami.
10:44 AM A link to the video of Dvir Emmanualoff's funeral. Hope it works. (h/t MB)
10:37 AM 20 residents of Wadi Ara arrested for rioting.
10:36 AM Sirens and 2 rockets fall in Ashkelon.
10:21 AM Mortar shell falls near Kibbutz Sha'ar HaNegev.
10:17 AM Humanitarian aid being transported to Gaza.
10:11 AM 2 Grad rockets fall near Gadera.
10:07 AM Security sources report that 80 terrorists killed so far in ground action.
10:06 AM Army radio reports that there is serious worry about rocket threat in the North.
10:05 AM Rocket falls in Gadera.
9:09 AM 5 soldiers and 1 officer wounded in attack in the early morning.
Reports say that as IDF soldiers approach known terrorist targets in Gaza that Hamas gunmen pop up out of the ground from underground tunnels.
IDF soldiers are prepared for this. K-9 units, unmanned drones, and soldiers with night vision goggles are deployed throughout to identify potential mole holes. Hamas are using anti-tank missiles, and heavy machine guns from their entrenched positions as well as mortars and roadside bombs.
(We're waiting for the online game to be released)
6:30 AM Golani soldier single-handedly foils kidnapping attempt in a tunnel before rejoining with IDF forces during the night. B'H. Once again, do not trust reports put out by Hamas of kidnappings (latest claim was that they kidnapped two soldiers). The IDF dismisses those claims and notes that they would report any kidnappings to the public in a proper and timely manner.
Bunkers and tunnels entrances are reported to be built right inside civilian homes!
5:16 AM IDF states it controls 73% of the areas previously used to launch rockets.
3:27 AM Fighting at eastern Gaza border including Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya. Grenades thrown at IDF soldiers.
IDF takes control of Hamas TV station, broadcasting message to Gaza residents not to be shields for the Hamas gunmen.
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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
With soldiers from Yehuda & Shomron fighting galantly, and with post-Zionist Leftists criticizing the campaign, will Barak issue an apology to the "Hilltop Youth" who are serving nobly. And will he call it like it is & brand the post-Zionist Leftists for what they are-traitors.
ReplyDeleteStaff-Sergeant Dvir Emanuelof, 22, from Givat Ze’ev.
ReplyDeletedvir Operation Cast Lead Sat-Sun Jan 3rd-4th, 2009
HY"D
Dude.....Israellycool and you are doing some kick ass work.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Gaza is right out of Groundhog Day!
ReplyDeletewow you are a serious news source! i think i need to make the muqata my home page :-)
ReplyDelete"The IDF dismisses those claims and notes that they would report any kidnappings to the public in a proper and timely manner."
ReplyDeleteProper and timely would not be now as it would damage the moral of other units. Let's just hope that the Hamas is lying (again).
Well done guys. I keep you running at the top of my round up.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne: yesterday, Hamas and AlJazeera stated (which was rebroadcast on Sky News and others) that 2 IDF soldiers were kidnapped and 9 killed. It was an outright lie. Best advice is to just ignore them.
ReplyDeleteThe Muqata is a MUCH more reliable news source :-)
Jack: And JoeSettler too I hope. I have commentary stuff going over by me. Not as interesting as the news we are posting here, I admit.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course Joe blogs here too, so thanks!
ReplyDeleteGood luck to Israel in your struggle for peace.
ReplyDeleteMay God be with Israel always and forever. Stamp out the trash that lives in Gaza.
ReplyDeleteBless the IDF !! Keep them safe.
The video you posted from San Francisco that happened on Friday is a prime example of the kind of scumbags we now have here is America all over our country to contend with. Our society is going down hill fast and it is very sad to see this kind of BS.
ReplyDeleteThese kind of people are the ones the FBI AND CIA need to keep a watch over. They will be the ones that create havoc in America.
May god be with the IDF as they accomplish their mission.
Stamp out the hate from Hamas.
I'm not going to get my news from the regular news anymore. THIS is the place to get news. it's updated often, not full of the hamas propaganda, and even when there is bad news, you make it feel less horrible. (I mean like hamas and their threats.)
ReplyDeleteI love you guys!
The whack-a-mole comparison is pure genius.
ReplyDeleteWorth a watch:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened/
Worth a read:
http://www.citizenwarrior.com/2007/10/message-to-peaceful-muslims.html
TOTAL MEDIA BLACKOUT on the fighting in Northern Gaza. Not an issue of military censorship, rather zero information of IDF op leaving the scene of the fighting. 4 Rockets land in Ashkelon in the past half hour.
ReplyDeleteWhat does that mean?
There is massive fighting going and absolutely no reporting coming out about what is going on site.
ReplyDeleteTV shows massive fighting involving artillery, helicopters, etc.
No other information is available yet. No comments from the army. Nothing.
As soon as we have something, we will post it.
(This is as opposed to the other information or details we have that is censored or classified so we can't post it).
ReplyDelete3:12 PM Palestinian protestors attack pro-Israel demonstrators in San Francisco, CA. (Video from this past Friday)
ReplyDeleteFive on the pro-Israel side, several hundred on the anti-Israel side (down from a few thousand earlier that day). The protests began at around noon at Powell and Market, wandered through the downtown, then ended up in front of the consulate at four thirty. Shortly after which the five pro-Israel protestors show up.
Progression of events: Several young male pro-Palestine protestors tackled 'F' (female), whereupon 'B' wades in and tries to break pro-Pally sternums with end of flagpole. At this point, cops have hysterics and yank both 'F' (middle-aged woman) and 'B' (middle-aged man) out of harm's way.
F and B and the other three pro-Israel demonstrators (Fr., Rb., and Dv.) bunch together, as the screaming crowd knocks over the barricades and comes at them. Police get in-between with batons, then hustle the five pro-Israel demonstrators into a building lobby and block the door while the crowd yells 'ba rooh, ba dam, nafdeek ya falasteen', and 'itbach al yahood'.
Not quite how I envisioned my Friday evening.
Still wish they hadn't jammed us into the building quite so soon - I had barely lit up, and had to waste nearly an entire cigarillo.
3:48 PM Miracle in Ashdod Gazan "Grad" rocket scores direct hit on an empty kindergarten. No injuries, but lots of damage.
ReplyDeleteThis needs to be made into a headline. Major media outlets must be informed of this. It's not just a line in a long list of Hamas atrocities, it goes to the essence of the 'why' of this entire operation.
Best wishes,
Jonathan
Grooooooannnn..... ):
ReplyDelete(My teeth, all my nerves, ache.....the tension is near unbearable.....tears.....praying......as as if with you there....)
Go with God.
Ma Sands
Goodnight Joe Settler. We love you. Godspeed and keep safe.
ReplyDeleteCurious question here:
ReplyDeleteHow does the media blackout and censor work? It seems like some information becomes known and is passed by word of mouth/sms but is forbidden to be officialy 'published'? Is that correct? IOW, my question is how do people get to know the information that is subject to the censor?
thanks for any reply
clueless in the usa
Hi Clueless.
ReplyDeleteThere are many Hebrew based sites that have all sorts of information on them. The censor informs site managers what is prohibited from being published.
We therefore, limit ourselves, delete posts, do not republish information, etc, becausre its officially "illegal" to publish something in defiance of the censor.
I don't really know what happened in the past, and I am not really sure if I can figure out. There is so much propaganda on either side, its almost impossible to separate signal from the noise.
ReplyDeleteWhat I do know is that Hamas willingly ended the cease-fire.Hamas is the ruling party in gaza. Therefore the attacks it carries out are acts of aggression, apart from acts of terrorism. The people of Palestine elected Hamas. They allow the use of their land/resources to carry out attacks on Israel. They deliberately attack civilian targets. I believe Israel has a right to protect its people and itself.
I can relate to their problems, India has been a victim of Pakistani state sponsored terrorism. Instead of doing something about it though, we continue playing the victim.
The Palestinians should accept the fact that however much they wish, they cannot make Israel go away and should learn to live in peace. I hope the Israelis avoid civilian casualties as this will only generate more hate and more problems.
There are many in the middle east who are hell bent on destroying Israel and Israel has every right to protect it.
There are people who like to play the martyr. These people are the ones who shout how their heart bleeds for the poor/oppressed/hurt. These are the same people who would like to see Israel bleed and then cry for it. They are wimps who just like cry for sympathy.
I support Israel in its fight and many of my Indian friends do.
Thank you so very much for all the information you are providing the public on how the war with Hamas and their terrorist scumbags is going.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing a great service to let the world know that enough is enough and that Israel has RIGHT to protect its people.
God Bless you all.
God bless the IDF.