6:00PM IL: The Security Cabinet on Wednesday, after conferring in the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv for hours, decided to continue with Operation Cast Lead, the counter-terrorism offensive in Hamas-controlled Gaza.
Israel has not ruled out the Egyptian-proposal for a ceasefire, but for now, the senior government ministers favor continuing the offensive that in intended to halt rocket attacks into southern Israel. Portions of the Egyptian plan have been deemed unacceptable to Israel.
Senior government officials including Defense Minister Ehud Barak have commented in recent days that while the offensive is moving ahead and progress is clearly evident, the objectives set for the operation have not yet been achieved. This is perhaps most evident by the fact that terrorists continue firing rockets into Israeli civilian population centers at will.
When the operation got underway on December 27, 2008, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Barak stated the IDF must create “new realities” in Gaza to bring an end to eight years of rocket attacks against the residents of Israel.
The cabinet released a statement also thanking Egypt and France for ongoing efforts to promote a ceasefire, indicating at this time, the military operation will move forward. Jerusalem will also be sending a delegation to Cairo to meet with President Hosni Mubarak to discuss ceasefire realities. Senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad will head that delegation. Israel added however that this does not commit Israel to accepting the plan.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority) have accepted the ceasefire effort and the delegation traveling to Egypt will finalize the details. Sarkozy calls for implementation of the ceasefire as quickly as possible towards ending the suffering.
Hamas officials report that talk of a ceasefire involving PA approval does not commit Hamas in anyway whatsoever.
Senior military officials have indicated phase 3 of the plan calls for tens of thousands of IDF reservists joining the force already operating in Gaza as they enter the increasingly dangerous urban warfare operation, seeking out terrorists as soldiers move house-to-house deeper into Hamas territory. At this time, it is unclear if the IDF will launch the third phase of the operation.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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3 Responses
Israel Welcomes 3-Hour Cease-Fire
Israel ordered a pause in its Gaza offensive for three hours Wednesday to allow food and fuel to reach besieged Palestinians…
WOW! What a war! The enemy is allowed a 3-hr break!! Do the Palestinians ever leave the Israelis alone,in peace?
The Gaza conflict has compelled the world to scream with rage about Israel’s so called “human rights violations.” What do they mean?
Do they mean human rights violations like holding back medical supplies from its own people? Spending the money meant for roads and schools on rockets and guns? Preventing medical help from reaching your own citizens so that leftist media can take photographs of the civilians you have hidden your weapons caches among who have gotten hurt more from your own weapons than from Israel’s? Is that the kind of human rights violations you are talking about?
Because the world knows, even if they won’t admit it to themselves, that Israel is only defending its own nation against a group of self-absorbed terrorists who don’t care who they are hurting or killing as long as they get good press.
You want to put a real human rights violator out of business for good, go join the fight AGAINST Hamas.
Note to Palestinians, other Arabs and their lefty worshipers. If you want peace Israel will teach you how to make the desert bloom. If you want to fight prepare to die. But don’t hide behind you children. Your rich Arab brothers hate you. They use you to fight their proxy war against Israel.
Demand your money back from Mrs. Arafat and use it to build schools and hospitals and parks. Israel has proven that the desert can bloom. Why don’t you try producing something other than misery. Gaza, by the way, is as old an entity as Hong Kong. It is about the same size, and is also on a major trading body of water. Hmmm. Compare and contrast, students!
How can you explain all the Muslim attacks all over the world: U.S.A., France, Great Britain, India, Lebanon, Israel, Philipines, Somolia, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden, the Balkans, Russia, Denmark, Australia, Hangu, China, Belgium, Scotland, Kashmir, Malaysia, etc. etc. etc.
Please explain it to me.
I rest my case!
#2
You present your case most eloquently and very logically, except for one thing. You have accomplished little by posting it on YWN. Try it on EL MANAR Arab website. Talk sense to those who need it.