On Thursday morning,
terrorists from Lebanon launched 6 Katyushas on Northern Israel. A group of 4 rockets hit Nahariya in the early morning. Several people were injured when a rocket hit a retirement home in Nahariya. Two others were injured when 2 more rockets hit the town of Shlomi toward mid-day. Israel returned fire hitting the missile launchers in Lebanon.
The diplomatic front continued moving on Thursday toward bringing about a ceasefire as the US now appears to be an active participant. The US has indicated qualified support for the French-Egyptian ceasefire proposal, although the
Americans are still seeking additional clarity as to what the proposal entails. Meanwhile, Hamas continues vowing not to surrender in Gaza and
rejects the French-Egyptian ceasefire plan.
Through Wednesday night and Thursday, the IAF hit 60 Gaza targets and ground forces accelerated their anti-tunnel operations.
During fighting on Thursday, an IDF Officer was killed in a battle in the former Jewish town of Netzarim and another officer was killed and a soldier wounded by an Hamas anti-tank missile in a battle near the Kissufim crossing. These were the were the eighth and ninth Israeli fatalities since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead. Eight of the fatalities have resulted from ground action.
