Israel's security cabinet gave the nod Thursday for military operations against "terrorist targets" after a Palestinian suicide bombing that killed 16 Israelis Tuesday night.
A government statement gave no details of what military operations had been approved but said the security cabinet had empowered Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer to decide what action to take.
"The security cabinet authorized the prime minister and defense minister to decide upon operations against terrorist targets," a government statement said.
Sharon convened his security cabinet, comprising top ministers including the defense and foreign ministers, after cutting short a visit to the United States to fly home to handle the situation. According to Israel Radio, the ministers did not discuss expelling Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.
Israel's Transport Minister Ephraim Sneh said the security cabinet endorsed military strikes on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the suicide bombing.
"There are no divergences in our view on the necessity of our troops intervening against the terrorist infrastructures in the Gaza Strip," Sneh told public radio Thursday.
Following the cabinet’s meeting, the Israeli army began massing forces on the border with the Gaza Strip, in preparation for a retaliatory operation, Haaretz reported. The army was also reportedly preparing to issue additional emergency call-up orders to reservists.
Meanwhile, Palestinians reported that Israeli tanks and bulldozers had entered the southern Gaza Strip near Rafah on Thursday. The Israeli force entered 150 meters into Palestinian territory, not far from the Gaza-Egypt border.
According to Israel Radio, the Israeli forces entered Rafah in order to destroy an arms smuggling tunnel. Firefights emerged in the area between Israeli troops and Palestinians but no injuries were reported.
Witnesses reported that one house caught on fire and another was damaged from tank fire and that the bulldozers were flattening the area. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
