Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault

    GAZA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Senior Palestinian security officials on Friday expressed concerns that the current Israeli army escalation, which began on Thursday, could be a test operation apparently aimed at reoccupying the Gaza Strip.

    "We received information that Israel is studying the idea of storming the Gaza Strip, but so far we have not known when exactly the operation would start," a high-ranking security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    Israeli TV Channel 10 reported earlier that an Israeli military invasion of the Gaza Strip is approaching.

    The report said that the invasion would have many goals, including putting an end to rocket attacks on Israel and solving the issue of captive soldier Gilad Shalit held in Gaza since June 25.

    The report quoted army officials as saying that the aim of the operation was to stop weapons smuggling and weaken Palestinian militant factions and their infrastructure.

    Israeli military analysts said that the Gaza Strip is acquiring more weapons and, in the opinion of Israeli generals and analysts, this means that the area should be reoccupied.

    The Israeli army has been carrying out ground military operations into Palestinian-controlled territories only close to the borders between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

    In addition to the small-scale ground operations, Israeli air forces intensify airstrikes on Palestinian militants who fire rockets, and destroy Palestinian houses, which Israel says are used as weapon warehouse by militants.

    Since Thursday morning, the Israeli army has carried out three airstrikes on southern and northern Gaza Strip, while tanks and armored vehicles rolled into the two areas.

    Joma'a al-Aqaa, chief of emergency at Shiffa Hospital, said that within the last 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 13 Palestinians -- six militants and seven civilians.

    On Friday morning, three Hamas militants, members of the al-Qassam Brigades, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza Strip, medics and security sources said.

    Meanwhile, a 29-year-old Palestinian woman was killed by Israeli troops east of Abbassan village in southern Gaza Strip.

    The escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip coincided with internal Palestinian fighting and dispute over the formation of a national unity government instead of the current Hamas-led one.

    Palestinian analysts said that any Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip "would save the neck of the Hamas movement which has been put in a real predicament and is facing political and financial problems."

    If Israel reoccupies the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians "would be busier with defending Gaza than sinking into internal conflicts and a cινιℓ ωαr," said Ashraf al-Ajrami, a Palestinian analyst from Gaza.