Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has concluded its day-long military offensive in Gaza Strip, an IDF spokesperson said on Tuesday evening.
During the large-scale incursion by the IDF, dozens of Israeli tanks and armored vehicles operated in both northern and southern Gaza, as part of a routine operation against Palestinian militants.
The army said the operation was aimed at distancing the Palestinian militants from the security fence between Gaza and Israel, and preventing Palestinians from launching Qassam rockets and mortar shell against southern Israel.
According to Israeli media, eight Palestinian militants were killed and four IDF soldiers were slightly wounded in the operations.
Since mid-June, Israel has carried out frequent airstrikes and ground incursions into Gaza in response to Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli border communities.
Yet Tuesday's offensive is the largest one since Palestinian Hamas movement ousted President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces and took control of the Gaza Strip in mid-June.
The Israeli operation came one day before Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are set to start their first formal talks toward reaching a peace agreement by the end of 2008.
According to a statement released by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Wednesday's talks will start at noon in Jerusalem's King David Hotel.
Palestinian and Israeli leaders agreed with U.S. President George W. Bush at a high-profile peace conference held last month in Annapolis, the United States, to begin their talks on final-status issues on Dec. 12.
In response to Israel's military operation, Abbas' spokesman accused Israel of trying to thwart final-status negotiations before they could be started on Wednesday.
"The Israeli government's determination to continue the offensives, assassinations and expanding settlements boosts the doubts about the Israeli intentions regarding the negotiations," spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh told reporters.
"It is difficult to go on with the negotiation process under the assassinations, deliberate killings, land confiscation and other procedures that don't suit the spirit of the peace process," he added.
Source: Xinhua
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