Israel's Longest Running Attack on Gaza

The current Israeli incursion into Gaza, “Operation Protective Edge”, has entered its twenty-third day, making it the longest-running Israeli assault on Gaza and eclipsing the 22-day, “Operation Cast Lead”, 2008-2009.

Major General Sami Turgeman, chief of Israeli forces in Gaza, said the army was "but a few days away from destroying all the attack tunnels." The military mobilized16,000 extra Israeli reservists on Wednesday, July 30th.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, stated on Thursday morning, that it will not stop its assault on Gaza until all of the of Palestinian tunnels on the border of Israel are destroyed. The Israeli military's ground invasion began on July 17th to eradicate these tunnels.

"Until now, we have destroyed dozens of terror tunnels and we are determined to finish this mission - with or without a ceasefire," he said at the beginning of a Cabinet meeting.

In the last three weeks of Israeli attacks on Gaza, over 1,300 Gazans have been killed, over 7,500 were wounded. The Israeli army has damaged and destroyed, at least 22 health facilities, 88 mosques, 5,000 homes, as well as UN schools and shelters, broadcast stations, food markets. Yesterday it eradicated the only Gazan power plant, which led to water pumps and sewage systems to stop working, severely limiting access to sanitary drinking water, and plunging hundreds of thousands of Gazans into darkness in the midst of Eid.