Israeli Air Force takes out 40 mosques-cum-rocket stores, brings new drone into Gaza operation

Debka ^ | July 31, 2014 | Debka

[BeauBo]

The Israeli Air Force bombed 40 mosques in Gaza Tuesday night, July 30, in the most extensive operation against Hamas’ religious institutions-cum-military bases so far. In total, at least 50 mosques have been blown up along with their stockpiles of rockets and arms caches.

These concentrated air strikes on rocket arsenals are as integral to Operation Protective Edge as the ground work in destroying tunnels. They have been stepped up in advance of the preparations launched by the government on Wednesday for the possible termination of the IDF ground operation in the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of troops. debkafile's sources say that the order to end the ground operation in Gaza would not mean that the war is over. There are no illusions about the Palestinian extremist groups laying down their arms. In practical terms, therefore, Israeli troops will regroup and spread out along the border as a barrier against future Hamas attempts to keep up its terror offensive by means of cross-border commando raids using undiscovered tunnels and firing rockets and mortars into Israel.

[PIF]

[BeauBo]

Looks like Debka called this one - Israel did pull their ground troops back into a cordon for a siege.

This was the first report that I saw of this policy change, followed by Caroline Glick in the Jerusalem Post.

It is still possible that they might charge in for a raid on the Hamas HQ at some point - it is only like five miles to drive. Perhaps they are wisely waiting to develop thorough intel through interrogation and reconnaissance, or to verify that the leadership is their first.

Possibly, they have a covert plan for regime change in coordination with other agencies of other countries, like Egypt. All of Gaza is under constant cover by artillery and their new drones - they could drop precision munitions anywhere in Gaza in just minutes, under the legal status of an ongoing war, with the press growing numb to it. All they need is good targeting info. Spies don’t need to carry anything identifiable with them - just a cell phone. It looks like a time of poverty and bleeding for Hamas, with nothing effective they can do about it.