Stage One

Israel has begun military action against Gaza and the Palestinian terrorists. They destroyed a bridge that could have been used by terrorists to transport the kidnapped Israeli soldier, Gilead Shalit. Additional strikes may be in the offing, as IDF ground forces are arrayed against Gaza, including elite forces.

Additional action is taking place in Northern Gaza.

Vital Perspectives is liveblogging the ongoing military actions.

The Palestinians are going to milk this situation for all it is worth. Have no doubt that they'll claim that Israel is engaging in collective punishment by attacking bridges and other infrastructure. They'll tout any potential civilian casualties that might occur from any Israeli actions as well.

Yet, the Palestinians will never acknowledge, let alone admit, that they have only themselves to blame for the current situation. It was their terrorists - Hamas, Fatah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad - who launched missiles and rockets against Israelis. It was their terrorists who conducted car bombings and suicide bombings.

It was their terrorists who attacked an Israeli checkpoint that was located inside the pre-1967 borders and killed two Israeli soldiers and kidnapped Gilead Shalit.

Their terrorist groups now claim that they've succeeded in making chemical and biological weapons.

As I noted earlier today, the media is crowing about some nonsensical deal between Hamas and Fatah that reaffirms their desire to destroy Israel - via ongoing terrorist attacks outside the pre 67 borders (meaning West Bank and Jerusalem are fair game).

The Palestinians are engaging in a shell game to give themselves more time to prepare against the oncoming Israeli response, which has already begun. Deeds speak more than words, and the Palestinian leadership - Hamas and Fatah wanted war.

Israel is obliging.

UPDATE:
Carl in Jerusalem is also blogging the situation with regular updates. Keep scrolling for new details as they become available.

The IAF has destroyed three bridges in Gaza in shaping the battlefield.

There are plenty others blogging the ongoing incursion into Gaza to deal with the terrorists. Blue Crab Boulevard notes that the Israelis also hit a power station. The strike has cut power to parts of Gaza. Hyscience points to an Israeli news report saying that the terrorists didn't quite know what to do with Shalit since that wasn't part of the plan and there are multiple terrorist organization involved in the attack in which Shalit was captured. Well, that certainly would complicate matters-for the Palestinians. Israel can and will hold both Hamas and Fatah responsible - as both are the leading parties governing the territories. He also provides maps of the area.

No Pasaran notes that the reason that the French have taken such an interest in the current conflict is that Shalit is a French national.

The Counterterrorism Blog thinks that this current conflict might have been engineered by Hamas to scuttle any planned prisoner swap between Hamas and Fatah. Curious, but it shows Hamas' complete and utter depraved indifference to the value of life.

Hot Air has a good roundup. Rusty emails Allah to note this report saying that Syria has sent some kind of security force to protect Hamas leader Kahled Mashall (who's Damascus based).

Ed Morrissey notes that the hammer is falling on Gaza. Freedom Watch notes that diplomacy does not work with Hamas.

Assorted Babble has a roundup. Kim at Wizbang muses over reports that Shalit may have been handed over to al Qaeda, though IDF forces believe that he's still in Gaza.

Totally Sirius at LGF reports that FoxNews says the IDF has clamped a live news feed blackout on the press.

UPDATE:
Ace notes a report picked up by Innocent Bystanders that the Palestinian terrorists have been massing. Great idea. Strategery even. Stand in one place where Israeli aircraft can nail the whole bunch of you.

Also, it appears that the Palestinian terrorists kidnapped another Israeli. And his body may have been recovered in Ramallah (West Bank). Via Meryl Yourish. By the way, where's the Amnesty Int'l statements denouncing Hamas and other terrorist actions to purposefully target civilians and kill them - violating all kinds of international law in the process? The silence is deafening.

Meryl also notes a JPost article saying that the Israeli tanks have actually started rolling into Gaza, encountering little resistance thus far.

Ground forces then began entering the southeastern part of the Gaza Strip and the troops gained control of two key sites near Dahaniya. At the same time, artillery units were shelling areas from where Kassam rockets were often launched at Israel.

The Air Force also struck an electrical transformer station south of Gaza city, cutting the power supply from portions of the region.

An IDF spokesperson told The Jerusalem Post that there was little Palestinian resistance to the incursion. He denied a report claiming that the Erez crossing had been opened in preparation for entry of troops into the northern Gaza Strip.

Some power has been restored in Gaza, and the terrorists are threatening all manner of nasty surprises for the IDF. I'm sure they mean it.

Honor the threat. Israel has no choice but to honor the threat - and that means taking the necessary actions and precautions to protect the nation from this threat.

Technorati: terrorism, fatah, Gilad, Shalit, Olmert, Eliyahu, Ashri, Abbas, Rains, Summer, cavaliers, watch, PRC, Hamas, Gaza, palestinian, Israel