"Operation Pillar of Defense" Update

Over 335 rockets have been fired at Israeli communities in the past few days. One rocket hit the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, home to over 200,000 people. The Iron Dome Active Missile Defense System has successfully intercepted over 184 rockets launched from Gaza.

IAF aircraft continue to target central terror activity sites in the southern Gaza Strip in order to harm the command and control posts of the Hamas terror organization.  .

Over 16,000 reservists have been mobilized, out of the 30,000 approved by the Israeli government.

The Paratrooper and Givati Infantry brigades have completed the final preparations for a potential ground operation. The forces are on standby, ready to enter should it be decided that a ground operation is necessary.

In preparation for a ground offensive the GOC has now issued road closures.

Road no.232
Road no. 10 
Road no. 4, in the direction of Yad Mordechai. (If coming from a northern direction, turning left is possible in the direction of Be'er Sheba only, there is no entry to the part of the road that runs along the Gaza Strip.)

The Israeli Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz spoke to his soldiers a few hours ago and said, "We are here tonight on the eve of a possible ground operation. This is not our first time in Gaza. We have been through a few days with very significant attacks on the scale of hundreds of daily targets, and have struck with great force and precision.”

A few hours ago, as Shabbat  fell over Israel a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed just outside Jerusalem, Israel's capital city.