Five rockets from Lebanon hit northern Israel, Israeli tanks in Philadelphi corridor

After five rockets from Lebanon exploded in the Nahariya-Kabri district, early Thursday, Jan. 8, West Galilee police ordered people to stay under cover, like citizens in the south for the past month.One rocket hit a home for retired citizens. Three were injured and 11 went into shock. Israeli aircraft and artillery shelled the source of fire. Schools were closed in the area and public shelters opened. Lebanese TV reported the rockets were fired from Wadi Hamoud south of the Litani River. Ashkelon and Ashdod also took rockets.In the south, tanks joined the massive Israeli air-artillery assault Israel launched Wednesday night to destroy Hamas' smuggling tunnels, as an Israeli envoy headed for Cairo to discuss a ceasefire.Wednesday, Jan. 7, Cairo presented Hamas with an ultimatum to reply to Egypt's ceasefire proposals by 6 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 8. The Palestinian terrorist group was not expected to meet the demand.DEBKAfile reports: In the last 24 hours, the US, Israel and Egypt were clearly working in harness. In New York, the US acted for the second time to block a UN Security Council ordering an unconditional ceasefire; from Cairo, Egypt shut off Hamas' diplomatic options, while Israel embarked on a military operation to pre-determine a key outcome of the Gaza conflict:Hamas' inability to rearm. Leaflets dropped in advance by the Israeli air force warned the 30,000 dwellers in the targeted Rafah region to leave their homes. Hamas' Southern Brigade is deployed in this strategic sector of the southern Gaza Strip under the command of a high-ranking commander called Al-Attar. Its operatives tried and failed to stem the flight from the Yibne and Block O Rafah refugee camps and Rafah's Tel Sultan. DEBKAfile's military sources report that Israel pounded this Hamas lifeline for arms supplies and reinforcements for days by air and sea. The new operation aims to finish the system off for good by clearing the critical 300 meters between Rafah and Philadelphi, where the openings to the thousands of smuggling tunnels are concealed by buildings.For Hamas-Damascus and Hamas-Gaza alike, bowing to the Egyptian ultimatum and accepting the proposal intelligence minister Gen. Omar Suleiman put before its representatives in Cairo Tuesday would be seen as a surrender to the Israeli army.Israeli defense ministry official Amos Gilad flies to Cairo Thursday to start talks on Egypt's ceasefire proposals.DEBKAfile also discloses that the Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert sent his political adviser Shalom Turjman to Washington Wednesday night.Earlier that day, the Israeli defense cabinet decided to continue the military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip while also discussing the ceasefire proposals received from Egypt.A growing number of cabinet ministers advocated expanding the military operation against Hamas and bringing it to the point of resolution, supporting the view held by Olmert and the military high command.
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5835
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