Israel reopens Gaza crossings, preparing for military operation

The army said the first of an expected 90 trucks have started to deliver medicine, fuel, cooking gas and other vital goods on Friday to Gaza. Israel's Defense Ministry agreed to open two of the three main cargo crossings into Gaza as part of its policy of avoiding a humanitarian crisis there.

The move comes ahead of an expected Israeli incursion into Gaza to stop rocket launchings from the coastal strip.Â

The crossings into Gaza were scheduled to be opened earlier in the week but were shut after Gaza militants bombarded Israel with the heaviest barrage of rocket fire since before an Egyptian-mediated truce took effect in June.

The Israel Defense Forces continued its preparations Thursday for military action in the Gaza Strip.

Reportedly, a "limited operation" will begin within days that will combine an air attack with some ground operations against Hamas and other Gaza terror groups.

Israel is planning a relatively short operation that will cause maximum damage to Hamas "assets".

The operation would not necessarily limit itself to stopping rocket launches and that during the operation, daily massive rocket launches can be expected, Israel's Haaretz daily reported citing the defense establishment. Hamas might fire rockets with a range beyond the 20 kilometers it has used so far.

MORTAR FIRE
Gaza militants fired yet another volley of rockets at southern Israel on Friday just hours before a convoy of humanitarian aid was to be sent to the besieged Palestinian enclave, the Israeli army said.

Five rockets and two mortar rounds were fired before dawn, but caused no casualties, AFP quoted a military spokesman as saying.

One mortar round landed on a house which was unoccupied at the time, near the Kerem Shalom border crossing, causing damage to the property, local residents said.

Violence in and around Gaza flared up after a six-month ceasefire ended on Dece. 19, and escalated dramatically on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni vowed on Thursday that Israel would strike back at the Hamas rulers of the Palestinian territory.