Intense fighting between Hamas and the IDF is ongoing(video)

The Israeli army has divided Gaza into two parts. They are making good progress against Hamas. Two more senior Hamas leaders have been killed. The IDF suffered it's first casualty. One soldier died from wounds suffered in a mortar attack. Map by BBC

JPost.com » Israel » Article
Jan 3, 2009 9:39 | Updated Jan 4, 2009 17:13
Another in critical condition after clash with Hamas gunmen
By YAAKOV KATZ, JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP

One of the two IDF soldiers who were critically wounded in a mortar shell attack near Jabalya in the Gaza Strip late Saturday night died of his wounds on Sunday.

The IDF said that the death was the first fatality in the IDF ground operation in Gaza, which was launched Saturday

28 other IDF soldiers were wounded in the same attack, three moderately and the rest lightly. Troops had encountered fierce resistance from Hamas forces entrenched in fortifications just over the border.

On Sunday afternoon, three IDF soldiers were lightly wounded in clashes with Hamas gunmen, bringing the total number of IDF casualties to 33.

Most of the wounded were taken to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba for treatment.

By Sunday afternoon, the IDF had divided the Gaza Strip into two segments, in a move apparently aimed at cutting off the flow of arms, supplies and fighters to the northern Strip, as tanks were seen in the area of former Israeli settlement Netzarim and troops reportedly reached the outskirts of Gaza City.

Eye witnesses told Arab media that IDF tanks and bulldozers were seen in the area between Gaza City and Netzarim.

The British Sky News channel also reported that some 150 IDF tanks had arrived in the Netzarim area.

Also Sunday afternoon, Senior Hamas terrorist Hussam Hamdan, who was in charge of Grad-type rocket launches into Beersheba and Ofakim, was killed in an IAF strike on Khan Yunis.

Another senior Hamas terrorist, Muhammad Hilo, was also killed in the same airstrike. Hilo was in charge of the Hamas special forces in Khan Yunis. Full story here.

Here is a video of the action from Sky News.