~*~ The Chanukah War ~*~
IAF Takes Out Missile Storage Facility that Doubled as Mosque
The mosque that was targeted was located in Gaza City, and was used to house Grad missiles and to provide a meeting place for Hamas terrorists.

by Maayana Miskin, Arutz Sheva
January 1, 2009

The mosque that was targeted was located in Gaza City
 

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) hit 25 targets in Gaza on Wednesday. A number of rockets stored in a mosque, a Grad missile and large quantities of explosives were demolished, and a senior terrorist was killed.

The mosque that was targeted was located in Gaza City, and was used to house Grad missiles and to provide a meeting place for Hamas terrorists. Rockets were recently launched from the vicinity of the building.

While the IDF has made a point in past operations of avoiding damage to mosques, the “Cast Lead” operation has seen the destruction of multiple Gaza mosques used as terrorist positions or weapons storehouses. Defense officials said any mosque used in the service of terrorism would be targeted, in order to show Hamas and other groups that they have nowhere to hide.

Another strike took out Amar Abu el-Roula, a senior officer in the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization. Abu El-Roula was involved in coordinating attacks and launching rockets, according to IDF intelligence sources.

Strikes took out multiple rocket launchers, smuggling tunnels and terrorist positions as well. At least three people were killed in the day's attacks, and several were wounded.

On Tuesday night, Israel took out the Gaza City office of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas in Gaza.