Islamic Hamas movement warned Israel on Saturday night of carrying out a large-scale military operation into the Gaza Strip that it has been ruling since June 2007.
Hamas armed wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement sent to reporters that it "declare that the Zionist enemy is getting close to the trap that our fighters had prepared for its soldiers and tanks."
"The Zionist enemy would see surprises and would regret carrying out such an operation and will be a heavy price. Our militants are waiting with patience for confronting the soldiers face to face," said the statement.
Identical Israeli and Palestinian sources said on Saturday night that the Israeli army began its ground operation into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The ground operation has been started following eight days of intensive warplanes airstrikes on the 1.5 million population of the enclave, targeting buildings, including mosques, houses and security installations.
Israeli Televisions Channel I and II quoted an Israeli army spokesman as saying that the Israeli army began on Saturday night a ground operation into the Gaza Strip to rein on Palestinian militants who launch rockets at Israel.
Palestinian witnesses living in northern and eastern Gaza Strip said that they can hear the sounds of the Israeli tanks and armored vehicles engines, adding that columns of Israeli tanks stationed near the borders are preparing to enter.
Source:Xinhua
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