TEL AVIV — Israel's Ground Forces Command fired 155 mm
howitzers against targets in the northern Gaza Strip in an effort to prevent
Palestinian missile launches, Israeli military sources said.
The sources said no civilian communities were
struck on late Tuesday.
This was the first time the Israeli military has employed artillery since 1967 and the first time ever
against Palestinian targets. Officials said the military would use enhanced
artillery that could immediately respond to Kassam-class, short-range
missile and rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel, Middle East Newsline reported.
"The artillery system here is not meant for decoration," Defense
Minister Shaul Mofaz said during a tour of artillery batteries along the
Israeli-Gaza border earlier on Tuesday. "It is operational and will respond
to any Kassam fire in real time."
[Overnight Wednesday, Israeli helicopters struck Fatah and Hamas targets
throughout the Gaza Strip. This, as Palestinian gunners continued to fire
mortars and missiles into Israel.]
Over the last year, the Artillery Corps has perfected a command,
control, communications, computer and intelligence [C4I system] that could
track and locate the source of enemy rocket and artillery fire for immediate
response. Officials said the C4I system also integrated artillery batteries
to ensure a coordinated response against enemy targets.
The artillery batteries have been based in Kibbutz Alumim east of the
Gaza border. Officials said the use of artillery would allow Israeli attack
helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles to focus on tracking Hamas
insurgents and weapons production facilities.
Officials said the artillery targeted Hamas missile-launching areas
around Bet Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. They said more
than 20 shells landed in fields and orchards.
Israel's military also employed attack helicopters in strikes against
suspected Hamas strongholds in the area of Gaza City. There were no reports
of injuries in the strikes on Tuesday evening.
At the same time, Islamic Jihad halted operations of its Radio Al Quds,
based in Gaza City. The radio said it was suspending broadcast in fear that
it would become a target of Israeli attacks.
The Israeli use of artillery has sparked opposition among some members
of parliament. Knesset member Ran Cohen, a member of the powerful Knesset
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said the use of artillery against
Palestinian targets could constitute a war crime.
"There are 1.3 million people living in the Gaza Strip," Cohen said.
"Artillery batteries are used against armies, not against civilians."
