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40 days after war, Hamas rule of Gaza gaining legitimacy
By Aluf Benn, Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff
Tags: gaza, hamas, israel news

Three rockets fell Thursday in the area around the Gaza Strip, one in the yard of a Sderot home - just a few reminders that Israel is still far from its declared goal in Operation Cast Lead. Discussion about the military operation's outcome revolves around the term "deterrence."

If Israel can enshrine Cast Lead in a long-term agreement, the war will be remembered as a success. But fears are mounting that the operation's military achievements are dissipating. If so, the operation will go down in history as a less-than-successful round in a long war in the Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defense Forces left Gaza with the feeling that it had proven itself, after its debacle in Lebanon in 2006. But it seems that the bottom line will have to wait. In Lebanon, too, it took several months before it could be concluded that although the IDF made mistakes, enough deterrence against Hezbollah was achieved to prevent renewed fighting.
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Barak, who was quick to criticize what went wrong in Lebanon, followed Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's lead in withdrawing from Gaza without a real agreement. But like in Lebanon, faced with only an aerial attack or one followed by a ground operation, Israel chose the middle ground and acted slowly and partially. Because in Gaza the enemy was less determined than in Lebanon, the move first appeared to be a victory. Only when the IDF left could the results of the war be seen as limited, with almost daily attacks near the fence, a continuing "drizzle" of rockets and information on renewed arms smuggling.

The blow Hamas was dealt has only led to increased admiration for the group, according to opinion polls in the territories. Hamas is still waiting for another crowning achievement: if abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is released for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

However, the army is currently reviewing its performance during the war and an encouraging picture is emerging in terms of its professionalism, control over units, aerial assistance to ground forces, quality of intelligence and logistics compared to the Second Lebanon War.

Diplomatic lessons

Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government made three major moves during its term: the Second Lebanon War, the bombing of the Syrian nuclear facility and Operation Cast Lead. The same lesson can be learned from all: The international community will back Israel's military operations as long as they are short, focused, conducted from the air and do not result in major civilian casualties.

Cast Lead raised international hackles, because Israel lost few people to the rockets fired from Gaza, but its response caused widespread death and destruction. What's more, in Gaza the victims were Palestinians, who already bear the brunt of the tragedy of 1948; the world is much more sympathetic to them than to Syria's Bashar Assad or Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah.

The major damage Cast Lead did was in legitimizing Hamas as the ruler of the Gaza Strip, with increasing calls for "reconciliation talks" that will return the organization to the Palestinian leadership.

The operation was planned to coincide with the end of the term of the Israel-friendly President George W. Bush, before President Barack Obama entered office. But now, instead of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton coming to talk to Israel about the Iranian threat, her first visit in office will focus on the problems of the Palestinians in Gaza. That might be the greatest damage of all.

Reservists' two cents

Forty days after the end of the war in Gaza, reserve paratroop sergeant, Keren Hagigi, whose unit fought north of Gaza City, said that when the cabinet announced the end of the operation, "of course I was glad to get home to my wife and little boy, but I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that even when we were sitting in a house in Beit Lahiya, we could still see Katyushas being launched, right next to us."

But Sgt. 1st Class Amitai Ahiman added: "I think that except for getting [kidnapped soldier] Gilad Shalit back, we did the most we could. From what I saw inside [the Strip], we did attain deterrence."

Another reservist, Amir Marmor, a gunner, said he left the war ashamed. "The IDF used disproportionate power, in a kind of punishment operation."

Same old in Sderot

The Color Red alert was followed Thursday by the muffled sound of a falling rocket, seemingly not too close to the center of town. Only later, people found out a rocket had hit a house and a few people were suffering from shock. In Sderot, it's business as usual.

To their credit, people in Sderot are amazingly tolerant of their sometimes diametrically opposed positions about the war, a tolerance that allowed the city to continue functioning during the war, despite the exhaustion, the bedwetting children and the anxiety attacks.

After two weeks in front of the cameras, Sderot is back on the margins it knows so well: failing businesses, a desperate school system. But who has the strength to talk about it?

Healthcare struggles

Out of 500 injured people during Operation Cast Lead - soldiers and civilians - and 548 victims of shock and trauma, 18 soldiers are still hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer. Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon is still struggling to build its rocket-proof emergency room.

Psychological trauma is still visible. Dr. Ronny Berger, head of the Natal community services for trauma victims, says, "these are people who have lost their sense of security, and because rockets are still 'drizzling,' it's hard to persuade them that it's all over." Natal is still responding to the serious psychological needs of people, who contact the organization through its hot line or whom its staff locates during home visits, a model Berger says Natal developed and finds very effective, since some people are afraid to leave their homes to get treated.

Cities take stock

After many sleepless nights, 40 days later, mayors are taking stock of how their cities functioned during the war, and most importantly, they say, how to get ready for the next round. Be'er Sheva Mayor Rubik Danilovich ordered all his department heads to submit reports on problems and lessons learned. "I asked the Defense Ministry to install shelters as quickly as possible throughout the city," he said. The head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Haim Yellin, said his area has still not returned to normal, even after all the repairs, "physical and organizational" have been made. Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council head Alon Shuster says, "security directives have changed; everything has changed; except for one thing - they're still firing at us."

Damage to farms

Cultivated fields were dealt a mortal blow by Operation Cast Lead, after the army prohibited farmers from spraying, irrigating and harvesting. Forty days on, the government has still not paid farmers compensation. Out of 140,000 dunams (35,000 acres), 3,000 were hit. "Another problem is that the army took over land and damaged it," Lior Katari, coordinator of the Agricultural Council of the Eshkol region, says, adding that he estimates the damage to farmers at NIS 150 million.
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  1.   Hamas should be totally destroyd 08:13  |  Jean Van Daem 27/02/09
  2.   1=1000 10:14  |  elimelech 27/02/09
  3.   more and more enshrined tripe !!!! 10:43  |  v hardman 27/02/09
  4.   Hamas Legitimacy 11:23  |  Palestinian 27/02/09
  5.   Israel MUST destroy all terror, don`t be as weak as rest of world 11:24  |  Harvey 27/02/09
  6.   The Palestinian people gave Hamas legitimacy... 11:26  |  Natallie Durson 27/02/09
  7.   The usual playing chicken 12:02  |  Stephen L 27/02/09
  8.   The "1:1000 deal" (to elimelech) 12:53  |  Martin 27/02/09
  9.   Does Hamas Rule by something other than the gun? 13:08  |  Tzfonit 27/02/09
  10.   to # 4 13:22  |  Hans 27/02/09
  11.   want more wars? 13:26  |  Shelley 27/02/09
  12.   ISRAEL`S LEGITIMACY COMES TO ZERO 13:26  |  indrajaya 27/02/09
  13.   Everyone loves a plucky underdog 13:28  |  Natallie Durson 27/02/09
  14.   Getting to say `I told you so" 13:47  |  Mark Lincoln 27/02/09
  15.   Hamas rule detrimental to Palestinian aspirations 13:50  |  Akiva P 27/02/09
  16.   The welch princess on a pea... 13:59  |  fritz t. 27/02/09
  17.   With word of a Unity Government 13:59  |  Mark Lincoln 27/02/09
  18.   I want to make too points 14:00  |  Mary 27/02/09
  19.   # 14, AKIVA PATISH TZIONI 14:02  |  indrajaya 27/02/09
  20.   resisting is honour 14:25  |  saifullah 27/02/09
  21.   they will never stop resisting 14:56  |  sam i am 27/02/09
  22.   Israeli actions increase Hamas`s legitmacy 15:01  |  Chris Linthwaite 27/02/09
  23.   Free Mervan Barguti! 15:01  |  No joke! 27/02/09
  24.   Think first and shoot later? NOPE! 15:05  |  W 27/02/09
  25.   Sderot & Gazans - the real losers 15:13  |  MWass 27/02/09
  26.   Israel is for peace 15:13  |  Michal 27/02/09
  27.   # 4 Palestinian....you get the government you deserve 15:24  |  Lynn 27/02/09
  28.   Stephen of London...great advice 15:29  |  Lynn 27/02/09
  29.   Shelly`s got it wrong 15:32  |  Warren 27/02/09
  30.   polls- where are the numbers? -Bogus report 15:36  |  Profesor 27/02/09
  31.   talk to hamas. fighting them did not destroy them 15:36  |  bashar 27/02/09
  32.   Palestinian tragedy 15:44  |  As`ad (Angry Arab) 27/02/09
  33.   "1-1000 Rule" 15:44  |  Ari 27/02/09
  34.   Hamas gets admired by gazans 15:50  |  Tory 27/02/09
  35.   What #1 and #4 fail to understand 15:54  |  O-Dog 27/02/09
  36.   Durson # 6 16:13  |  Alice 27/02/09
  37.   BAshar # 17 16:15  |  Alice 27/02/09
  38.   Divide Et Impera 16:17  |  Jeff Northridge 27/02/09
  39.   #12 indrajaya in his own TWILIGHT zone 16:17  |  CK Tan 27/02/09
  40.   No mean achievement 16:27  |  sh 27/02/09
  41.   To 1 ,2 and 19 16:38  |  S Awaad 27/02/09
  42.   Once is chance, twice is coincidence, third time? 16:55  |  Manny Goldstein 27/02/09
  43.   Kidding yourself 17:05  |  Dave Duncan 27/02/09
  44.   Tzfonit #9 you get confusing answers 17:05  |  Roo 27/02/09
  45.   Tzfonit #9 you get confusing answers 17:05  |  Roo 27/02/09
  46.   40 days after the war 17:06  |  Chris Linthwaite 27/02/09
  47.   Gaza 2009, like Lebanon 2006 - disasters & via the same leaders.. 17:06  |  bat yam 27/02/09
  48.   At least the jewish children are alive, 2500 Palestinians are not 17:21  |  Kris Lazar 27/02/09
  49.   The left did not have 17:24  |  TOMY 27/02/09
  50.   Confusing figures 17:26  |  Sherlock Holmes 27/02/09
  51.   #9 Tzfonit, still in denial 17:27  |  BDS 27/02/09
  52.   1948 17:27  |  alex 27/02/09
  53.   Pals admire Hamas 17:30  |  Danny 27/02/09
  54.   More so Israel having lost in world opinion than Hamas gaining 17:33  |  American in NY 27/02/09
  55.   legitimacy? 17:36  |  Ze 27/02/09
  56.   This effectively means the Arab enemy is asking for more war 17:38  |  Tomer 27/02/09
  57.   Tzfonit #9 you get confusing answers 17:39  |  Roo 27/02/09
  58.   To Natalli (# 6). "The Palestinian people gave Hamas..." 17:39  |  flyingdoc57 27/02/09
  59.   Why Call this "War" 17:42  |  Ehud 27/02/09
  60.   Terror is bombing civilians 17:47  |  ehud 27/02/09
  61.   Response to S.Awaad 17:53  |  Bernard Jas 27/02/09
  62.   Divide Et Impera (2nd try) 17:58  |  Jeff Northridge 27/02/09
  63.   Give them what they want, get out of settlements 18:01  |  Haroum 27/02/09
  64.   Is this world going mad, Hamas killed all who went against them 18:04  |  Livin In Rishon 27/02/09
  65.   The Jewish Messiah 18:05  |  Shimon Cleopas 27/02/09
  66.   shock and trauma therapy? 18:31  |  Dan 27/02/09
  67.   Germans gave ligitimacy to Hitler in 1927 18:31  |  Miron 27/02/09
  68.   response to #21 18:39  |  Daniel 27/02/09
  69.   Jordan is Palestine 18:43  |  steve dill 27/02/09
  70.   Hamas is a terrorist organization 18:47  |  Hector 27/02/09
  71.   Israel needs to learn, People can never be destroyed 18:49  |  gus 27/02/09
  72.   just an empty talk.. 19:03  |  Daniel 27/02/09
  73.   Re: #6 and #13 19:21  |  Michael 27/02/09
  74.   Politician ego`s are Israel`s enemy 19:23  |  Hans NL 27/02/09
  75.   What doesn`t work 19:35  |  Chrisona 27/02/09
  76.   Daniel # 24 19:37  |  Ahmad in Ramallah 27/02/09
  77.   Failed strategy 19:43  |  Chrisona 27/02/09
  78.   Miron: Funny thing, Israel fits better there 19:43  |  John 27/02/09
  79.   : Natallie Durson is 100% rigt 19:44  |  Antonio da Silva 27/02/09
  80.   S Awaad # 21 Where Is Your Homeland? 19:45  |  Jeff Northridge 27/02/09
  81.   indrajaya is right 19:47  |  Antonio da Silva 27/02/09
  82.   Accolades to military undeserved 19:48  |  John 27/02/09
  83.   Simpletons Can`t Learn 19:50  |  Knott Bushman 27/02/09
  84.   Hamas is not a thing to be killed 19:56  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 27/02/09
  85.   To #2 about 1=100 20:00  |  Rami Abulibdeh 27/02/09
  86.   This was Israel`s main intent 20:30  |  Palestinian Prince 27/02/09
  87.   Hamas rule of Gaza gaining legitimacy 20:34  |  mark38 27/02/09
  88.   Hamas and the Occupied Territories 20:48  |  Sabah 27/02/09
  89.   #6;Natalie Durson, #31 Antinio, both omit facts and miss point 20:52  |  Doc Holliday 27/02/09
  90.   "ex-terrorists"? Natallie Durson 20:54  |  Sabah 27/02/09
  91.   And folks agreeing with Benn and Harel will be 21:05  |  Mark Lincoln 27/02/09
  92.   Tzfonit #9 you are confused 21:05  |  Roo 27/02/09
  93.   #12 - indrajaya 21:12  |  Giora 27/02/09
  94.   IDF proud - of WHAT ??? 21:17  |  Amused 27/02/09
  95.   Hamas support is based on fear 21:19  |  Peter Williams 27/02/09
  96.   #32 Jeff Northridge 21:43  |  Chris Linthwaite 27/02/09
  97.   to #34 21:45  |  Jake 27/02/09
  98.   yeah ,masada 21:59  |  why? 27/02/09
  99.   Masada was an example of genocide 22:13  |  Miron 27/02/09
  100.   Divide Et Impera (3rd try) 22:43  |  Jeff Northridge 27/02/09
  101.   Re: "Why should the Palestinians abide by Oslo when Israel..." 22:46  |  Miron 27/02/09
  102.   to 40 22:53  |  John 27/02/09
  103.   familiar tunes, bandits from Auschwitz... Masada... 22:55  |  Miron 27/02/09
  104.   Hamas has won nothing 23:08  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 27/02/09
  105.   Every time that Israel attacks it strengthens the enemy 23:11  |  of Israel 27/02/09
  106.   Israel`s right to defense 00:01  |  Tim Lehmann 28/02/09
  107.   Tzfonit #9 you are probably confused 00:15  |  Roo 28/02/09
  108.   The Israel Defense Forces left Gaza with the feeling.... 00:18  |  Silvienne 28/02/09
  109.   Tzfonit #9 you are probably confused 00:45  |  Roo 28/02/09
  110.   #44 Miron 01:02  |  BDS 28/02/09
  111.   Hamas "legitimacy" 01:31  |  AL 28/02/09
  112.   To Silvienne (# 48). So you want a 2nd chance? 01:59  |  flyingdoc57 28/02/09
  113.   BS and more BS re who values life more 02:11  |  Dr. Venom 28/02/09
  114.   Durson is 100% right 02:24  |  The fight is against 28/02/09
  115.   Akiva and all the rest of the Jews 02:39  |  Jew too 28/02/09
  116.   Gaza war of attrition is not Lebanon 02:48  |  allang 28/02/09
  117.   what happens to rock throwers in manchester? 02:52  |  Dr. Venom 28/02/09
  118.   Dan of DC--excellent post 02:59  |  Jew, too embarasse 28/02/09
  119.   Serrious question 03:09  |  Serious 28/02/09
  120.   Ostracising Hamas will not help in the search for peace 03:31  |  JS 28/02/09
  121.   The Palestinians` democratic choice must be respected 27 Jan 2006 03:33  |  J. Steele 28/02/09
  122.   Europe`s response to the siege of Gaza is shameful 03:35  |  6 July 2006 28/02/09
  123.   Hamas acted on a very real fear of a US-sponsored coup 03:39  |  James Wolfensohn 28/02/09
  124.   #46 Miron`s potted history.... 03:42  |  Johnboy 28/02/09
  125.   Time for a change of western policy 03:42  |  bitterlemons 28/02/09
  126.   #48 silvienne - the QUEEN is back... 04:07  |  CK Tan 28/02/09
  127.   The Palestinians and Hamas, their right 04:03  |  Doc Holliday 28/02/09
  128.   #56 johnboy FALLS into his own POTTY 05:19  |  CK Tan 28/02/09
  129.   Report of Hamas not surprising.... 05:38  |  The Archives 28/02/09
  130.   Let`s be honest and realistic 05:52  |  ELIAS KHOURY 28/02/09
  131.   # 69 Steve Dill heard of BALFOUR DECLARATION 08:41  |  Ann 28/02/09
  132.   Serious # 119 Too Many Questions All At Once (part 2) 09:14  |  Jeff Northridge 28/02/09
  133.   Hamas Hi-jacked Gaza - Now its the Stockholm Syndrome 10:16  |  Albert Edelson 28/02/09
  134.   Hamas doesn`t need Israel`s legitimacy in Gaza ... 11:48  |  Dutch 28/02/09
  135.   Michael: read the small print 16:34  |  AT 28/02/09
  136.   Doc Holliday: Massacres of Jews? Stern Gang? 17:16  |  AT 28/02/09
  137.   Albert Edelson on Stockholm 21:35  |  Roo 28/02/09
  138.   hamas 01:40  |  azad 01/03/09
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