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Last update - 02:44 04/01/2009
EU presidency: Israel ground op in Gaza 'defensive not offensive'
By Haaretz Service and Reuters
Tags: Gaza, Israel, Israel news 

PRAGUE - European Union president, the Czech Republic, said Saturday an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza was "defensive, not offensive" action.

"At the moment, from the perspective of the last days, we understand this step as a defensive, not offensive, action," Czech EU presidency spokesman Jiri Potuznik said.

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg is leading an EU delegation to the region Sunday, and Potuznik said the presidency will wait to see the results of that visit.
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Israel sent troops into Gaza on Saturday evening, eight days after launching air strikes on the coastal strip, which came in the wake of a breakdown in a six-month truce with Gaza's Hamas rulers.

Dozens of rockets have been fired at Israel's southern communities over the past two weeks, killing four Israelis. The air strikes in Gaza have killed at least 420 Gazans, according to Palestinian reports.

U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday branded the Hamas rocket attacks on Israel an act of terror and outlined his own condition for a cease-fire in Gaza, saying no peace deal would be acceptable without monitoring to halt the flow of smuggled weapons to terrorist groups.

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      1.   Czech Amnesia About Tanks Rolling In? 22:39  |  Neil Robertson 03/01/09
      2.   The EU presidency doesn`t speak for the EU. 22:41  |  Michael 03/01/09
      3.   EU understands better than we expected 22:51  |  x-ray 03/01/09
      4.   Czechs are Correct 23:04  |  George Kaplan 03/01/09
      5.   Neil Robertson on Tanks Rolling In 23:04  |  utagawa 03/01/09
      6.   To #1, Neil Robertson 23:05  |  Erik 03/01/09
      7.   You act...I react ! 23:26  |  Igor 03/01/09
      8.   Israel ground operation is defensive 23:54  |  Gina 03/01/09
      9.   Israel ground op is defensive 02:17  |  Serge Fischler 04/01/09
      10.   Israel ground op is defensive 02:19  |  Serge Fischler 04/01/09
      11.   defensive, not offensive 02:41  |  theredstateguy 04/01/09
      12.   defensive, not offensive 02:44  |  theredstateguy 04/01/09
      13.   To Neil Robertson (#1) 02:51  |  Morris Valentine 04/01/09
      14.   Difference between Soviet Union and Israel 03:04  |  Brock 04/01/09
      15.   GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY 03:07  |  MAJOR DANI 04/01/09
      16.   Czechs are correct 04:37  |  Richard Harness 04/01/09
      17.   Obama and Israel 04:43  |  Rodger 04/01/09
      18.   OPEN YOUR EYES 04:53  |  Moshe 04/01/09
      19.   stupidity in Scotland? 04:57  |  Soulbringer 04/01/09
      20.   THOU SHALL NOT KILL, PERIOD. 05:10  |  Mahmood Qazi 04/01/09
      21.   This president has sense 05:13  |  MMM 04/01/09
      22.   Rockets /from/ Gaza 05:46  |  Dave Andersen 04/01/09
      23.   No Czech Amnesia 05:56  |  Patrick McNamara 04/01/09
      24.   Mahmood tell it to Hamas 06:02  |  Brock 04/01/09
      25.   To Michael #2 06:09  |  Allen 04/01/09
      26.   To Mahmood Qazi 06:13  |  Allen 04/01/09
      27.   Only half of the truth 06:21  |  Fritz T. 04/01/09
      28.   Czech president is 100% correct 14:31  |  Watcher 04/01/09
      29.   Take the terrorists down 16:27  |  Helen 04/01/09
      30.   Czechs know what fascist aggression is, unlike France and England 18:33  |  IW 04/01/09
      31.   Czech Amnesia 18:38  |  Marc 04/01/09
      32.   Tanks and Bombs - and Imperial Intentions 19:24  |  neil robertson 04/01/09
      33.   Kill Hamas Terrorists 12:17  |  Naresh 05/01/09
      34.   Israel Used To Support Hamas To Undermine Fatah 13:52  |  neil robertson 05/01/09
      35.   Israel ground op in Gaza `defensive not offensive` 09:02  |  Len 18/01/09
      36.   THOU SHALT NOT KILL, PERIOD 09:08  |  Len 18/01/09
      37.   Dundee Neil 02:59  |  john and the TRUTH! 27/01/09
      38.   Len with selective reading (in)habilities 05:53  |  john and the TRUTH! 27/01/09
      39.   Defensive? 19:01  |  FCBarca 24/02/09
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