Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., January 20, 2009 Tevet 24, 5769 | | Israel Time: 01:33 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File

IDF troops leaving Gaza: Our job isn't done, since Shalit still captive By Amos Harel Tags: Israel, Gaza, Israel News  By yesterday afternoon, many of the Israel Defense Forces soldiers who fought in the Gaza Strip had already left. The IDF bases and training sites in the Negev were full of conscripted soldiers and reservists recovering from two weeks of combat. Some soldiers' parents were quick enough to see their children, whom they hadn't been able to speak to for several days. Many soldiers said they were content with the way the army functioned during Operation Cast Lead, especially compared to the Second Lebanon War - including the massive force used, even though it resulted in many Palestinian civilian deaths. But they also complained that there was some confusion about ending the fighting and expressed frustration over the lack of a deal that would have freed captive soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted by Palestinian militants on the Gaza border in June 2006. Several wondered whether the cease-fire would really last. The sentiment, expressed by several paratroopers and infantry soldiers in the reserves, was along the lines of: "Is there anyone who can promise that there won't be any more rockets? Is there a solution to the arms smuggling?" Advertisement But talk of the fighting always seemed to end up with Shalit, and the fact that the cease-fire deal will not bring him home. "We felt that we didn't complete our mission all the way, because Gilad isn't back yet," one reservist said. Another added: "We were willing to stay inside a lot longer - just so he would return at the end of the operation." Better prepared A senior officer in the reserves said the IDF was better prepared for combat in Gaza than it had been during the Second Lebanon War in 2006. "It's not the reserve army that we saw in Lebanon," he said. "The week of training in Tze'elim and everything we've been through in the past two years prepared us on a much higher level for combat. It's true that Hamas wasn't like Hezbollah, and fled in some cases. Still, the soldiers' fighting spirit was amazing. The solidarity, the agreement about the objectives of the operation, contributed to that. There were [IDF] companies with soldiers who broke out dancing, like on Simhat Torah, when they were told the order had been given to go into the Strip." The officer said the troops had been "brutal" but that the destruction in Gaza was necessary. "We were very aggressive, brutal," he said. "In the next few days the international media will go into Gaza and broadcast horrible pictures. There are towns and neighborhoods we passed through and didn't leave a millimeter of asphalt. When you pass through with tank battalions and armored personnel vehicles, not a lot is left. There isn't a house there that wasn't affected: tank shells or sometimes one of our planned explosions. People won't recognize their street. "I'm not militant and not looking for unnecessary destruction, but this time it was completely justified. Until you get there, it seems like it's all stories. But then you walk around the street and see that every other house is booby-trapped and every third house has weapons." The officer also praised the elite Engineering Corps unit that defused explosives the Palestinians had planted in Gaza, saying many soldiers would have been killed were it not for their professionalism. Related articles: EU leaders commit to helping prevent Hamas from rearming Olmert: Israel will pull all Gaza troops as soon as possible Haniyeh: Hamas won Gaza war, but was wise to declare truce Bookmark to del.icio.us   Inciting imagery Yad Vashem Chair: Nazi imagery at anti-Israel rallies incites violence. Frames of Reality A social networking Web site links Israeli and Gaza journalists during wartime.   1.   Let`s face it.... 11:25  |  Esther 19/01/09

Read & React Haniyeh: Hamas won Gaza war, but was wise to declare truce Responses: 117 Saudi king: Arab peace offer won't last forever Responses: 63 Israel fears wave of war crimes lawsuits over Gaza offensive Responses: 90 Akiva Eldar: Obama mustn't let Israel kill and bleed all the way to an apartheid state Responses: 44 More Headlines 00:20 Israeli seriously hurt in West Bank shooting attack 23:14 IDF: Hamas orders armed wing to target IDF troops still inside Gaza 14:58 Saudi king: Arab peace offer won't last forever 17:52 Report: EU to lift sanctions on Hamas if Palestinian unity gov't formed 19:38 Arab states say Israel used ammo in Gaza that contained depleted uranium 21:30 Yad Vashem Chair: Nazi imagery at anti-Israel rallies incites violence 17:02 Mr. Obama, grant Hamas the freedom to fail 23:35 Social networking Web site links Israeli, Gaza journalists during wartime 23:56 French police arrest 3 suspects involved in synagogue bombing 17:02 Western diplomats: Israel seeks to control reconstruction of war-torn Gaza 23:16 Israeli official: IDF to leave Gaza before Obama inauguration 20:56 Amnesty accuses Israel of war crimes over use of white phosphorus in Gaza 23:23 ANALYSIS / Israel preparing for Iran bid to rearm Hamas in Gaza 23:23 Livni: If Hamas renews rocket fire, it'll get slapped down again Previous Editions Select Day 19 jan 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 12 jan 11 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan

Special Offers Advertisement Summer in Israel Israeli style - Tzofim Chetz V'Keshet 2009 Blue And White Forever Israel Army T-shirts Wear with Proud Donate the Soldiers Kit You can make a direct IMPACT! on the life of an Israeli soldier State of Israel Bonds During this time of market volatility, Israel bonds can help. SURF RAMBAM Keep current about new-wave medical care, education and research. Summer Camp in Israel The best place for your children this summer Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved