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Three Israelis killed, 32 injured in 100 Hamas missile attacks Monday DEBKAfile Special Analysis December 30, 2008, 11:08 AM (GMT+02:00) Israeli tanks still unmoved On Day 3 of Israel's Gaza operation, Dec. 29, Hamas hit back hard with volleys of rockets and missiles at points closer to central Israel than ever before. The three Israelis killed were IDF career officer, Sgt. Maj. Lutfi Nasr e-Din, 38, from Daliat Hacarmel, at Nahal Oz, a woman motorist, Irit Sheetrit, 39, mother of four, who sought shelter in the Ashdod bus terminus, 30 km from Gaza; and earlier in Ashkelon, Hani al-Mahdi, 27, a construction worker from the Bedouin Negev village of Ar'ur. DEBKAfile's military sources report that Monday, Hamas had recovered sufficiently from Israel's air offensive to bring out its new Iranian Grad rockets to expand their range up to 40 km.  More...

FM spokesman in Tehran: Iran begins preparing operations against Israel DEBKAfile Special Report December 29, 2008, 9:49 PM (GMT+02:00) On Monday, Dec. 29, Day 3 of Israel's Gaza operation, the spokesman said Iran had embarked on preparations for operations against Israel in line with the directives laid down by supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khameini in his speech Sunday. In his speech, Khameini issued a fatwa calling on Muslims to stand up and defend Palestinians against Israel.  More... Grad rocket kills one person in Ashkelon, Hamas steps up cross-border fire December 29, 2008, 5:04 PM (GMT+02:00) A rocket fired from Gaza early Monday, Dec. 29, hit a half-finished building in central Ashkelon, killing one person, injuring 18 – five seriously. The victims were building workers at the site. Five Qassam missiles exploded in Sderot striking a house. Seventy missiles and 2 Grad rockets fired by midday Monday. The IDF declared areas around the Gaza Strip a closed military zone.  More... The Gaza War consigns Middle East conventions to the scrap heap DEBKA-Net-Weekly Exclusive Report December 30, 2008, 1:44 PM (GMT+02:00) The coming DEBKA-Net-Weeklylooks hard at how the Israel-Hamas conflict is forcing world leaders, from Barack Obama to Vladimir Putin, to rethink their Middle East designs and driven Iran, Syria and Hizballah to a crossroads. And what is Israel really after? You will find some surprising disclosures in the next DEBKA-Net-Weekly out Friday. To subscribe to DEBKA-Net-Weeklyclick HERE . Hizballah leader says Israel is running out of time. Oil rises on possible Gaza invasion December 29, 2008, 5:07 PM (GMT+02:00) Hassan Nasrallah in his second speech in two days on the Gaza crisis Monday, Dec. 29, did not offer to help Hizballah's hamas allies, but offered the view that Israel could not hold out for long with air attacks. Israel's Deputy chief of staff Maj. Dan Harel warned: The campaign has just begun.  More...