ANALYSIS: Palestinians face an emerging paradox in Gaza - Haaretz

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Last update - 10:22 28/09/2007

ANALYSIS: Palestinians face an emerging paradox in Gaza

By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent

The events in the Gaza Strip over the past two days, in which 12 Palestinians were killed amid dozens of Qassam rocket and mortar attacks, suggest that the logic driving the policies of Israel and Hamas are diametrically opposed.

Only nine days ago, the government declared the Gaza Strip "hostile territory" in an attempt to up the pressure on Hamas to end the rocket attacks. But Hamas' response has been the opposite; the shooting has only intensified.

Terrorist groups in Gaza, including Hamas' military wing, have also increased efforts to carry out attacks inside Israel.

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Most of the 54 mortars fired Wednesday landed near the Sufa crossing terminal. The mortars fired Thursday by Hamas militants targeted crossing points at Eretz and Kerem Shalom. There has also been a great deal of intelligence on Hamas' plans to target the crossing points into Gaza.

As such, a paradox has emerged in which the Israeli government, the U.S. and Fatah believe that by exerting greater pressure on the Gaza Strip's residents, the people will overthrow the Hamas regime there, while the Islamic group is doing its best to shut down the crossings - perhaps assuming that if the civilians suffer more, they will side with Hamas.

Senior Hamas officials deny that they intend this. Ismail Haniyeh says Hamas is interested in opening the crossings, but he was hard-pressed to explain the obvious attempt by Hamas militants to destroy the crossings.

"The military wing decides its targets in an effort to bring an end to the siege over the Strip," he told Haaretz.

But how is shooting at the crossings expected to contribute to lifting the siege? Only Hamas seems to know the answer.

Perhaps it is meant to be a message to Israel that the organization is not afraid of a direct confrontation with the Israel Defense Forces and that only a cease-fire agreement with Hamas - an offer Israel rejected recently - will end the attacks.

However, it is doubtful whether all Hamas factions support this approach. After the recent rocket attack against the Zikim military camp, for example, Haniyeh asked the leaders of the factions involved in rocket attacks to stop temporarily. But Haniyeh's ability to influence these factions is very limited.

Among the militants continuing the attacks are those encouraged by Iran. As for Hamas, it is keeping to the limits it has set for itself: It claims responsibility for the mortar attacks, but the Qassam attacks are being outsourced to other groups it supports.

These attacks are expected to intensify as we close in on the summit scheduled to take place in Washington in November.

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1.	It is in Americas interest to cause Palestinian suffering??????	10:15	\|	Natallie Durson	28/09/07

2.	Lessons from WWII	10:20	\|	Amos	28/09/07

3.	Evolution, Not Revolution	10:58	\|	dyinglikeflies	28/09/07

4.	Lessons from WWII: Israel has to be crushed completely	11:01	\|	Andreas	28/09/07

5.	Hamas has no responsible authorities	11:06	\|	Jasmine Murphy	28/09/07

6.	Haniyeh`s ability to influence these factions is very limited.	11:06	\|	Avi	28/09/07

7.	Lessons nearer to home, Amos	11:08	\|	Murray	28/09/07

8.	Re Natallie #1	11:12	\|	Esther	28/09/07

9.	Others	11:22	\|	Josh	28/09/07

10.	Andreas	11:25	\|	Jasmine Murphy	28/09/07

11.	ISLAM VS. WEST(WHO WILL WIN?)	11:28	\|	THE LIBRARIAN	28/09/07

12.	No mercy	11:29	\|	Victor	28/09/07

13.	who loses ...	11:33	\|	ravi	28/09/07

14.	the Swiss Islamofascist here again (Andreas)	11:36	\|	maurice	28/09/07

15.	will all the brave talk continue when the power is switched off a	11:37	\|	victor hardman	28/09/07

16.	The only hope, the will kill themselves....	11:37	\|	Jean	28/09/07

17.	Only one way, destroying Hamas and all their leaders	11:39	\|	maurice	28/09/07

18.	Orchestrating the pawns in Gaza	11:47	\|	Esther	28/09/07

19.	4Andreas & 1 natalie D.,`verbal legerdemain`describes it aptly,	11:49	\|	lakshmi	28/09/07

20.	We see the war-war	11:51	\|	Michael II	28/09/07

21.	jean...!!!!	11:54	\|	ravi	28/09/07

22.	Isacharoff doesn`t read own "Haaretz",no paradox, it`s simple:	12:08	\|	Absolute Sweden	28/09/07

23.	For Lakshmi et al	12:21	\|	Esther	28/09/07

24.	#4 whoooo IS GOING TO DO that?	12:26	\|	JON FEIGENBAUM	28/09/07

25.	BARAK COOKING UP SOMETHING NICE FOR THEM	12:32	\|	JON FEIGENBAUM	28/09/07

26.	Jon Feigenbaum,Israel Lefties are trying to do that	12:35	\|	Absolute Sweden	28/09/07

27.	# 8 Esther .. I am not Diabolical! I was humoring you!	13:02	\|	Natallie Durson	28/09/07

28.	Collateral Damage?	13:50	\|	Roger Melly	28/09/07

29.	#2 Lessons From WWII	13:56	\|	Bill Foonman	28/09/07

30.	natalie, suffering, gain and legerdemain #4 and #27	14:15	\|	odles	28/09/07

31.	23esther,simple,it is not Hamas that has kept the crossings	14:24	\|	lakshmi	28/09/07

32.	Lakshmi, Ravi,CF,Natalie,Labras co.SHAME ON YOU ALL	14:29	\|	notblackorwhite	28/09/07

33.	Is it in Americas interest? Natalie	14:33	\|	Petra	28/09/07

34.	Andreas ISRAEL TODAY TOMORROR AND FOREVER!!!!!!	14:34	\|	Petra	28/09/07

35.	No mercy Victor	14:37	\|	Petra	28/09/07

36.	# 1 ??????	14:51	\|	Tony Anthony	28/09/07

37.	Top #1 Natalie	14:59	\|	Simon	28/09/07

38.	The only real paradox will emerge when Feiglin is PM	15:00	\|	Manhigut Guy	28/09/07

39.	Artical has it wrong	15:03	\|	Ron	28/09/07

40.	Amos #2	15:05	\|	Mr. T	28/09/07

41.	Typical Post Colonial Chaos	15:07	\|	Ibrahim	28/09/07

42.	Crazy Logic	15:11	\|	gearoid	28/09/07

43.	#4 andreas, sorry for you, that won`t happen.	15:13	\|	John Allen	28/09/07

44.	Jasmine Murphy	15:16	\|	Mr. T	28/09/07

45.	the `librarian`	15:18	\|	Mr. T	28/09/07

46.	Absolute Sweden	15:25	\|	Mr. T	28/09/07

47.	Natallie Durson - NOT in LA	15:39	\|	Fish	28/09/07

48.	Roger Melly	15:52	\|	Mr. T	28/09/07

49.	Ibrahim	16:12	\|	Nephtaly	28/09/07

50.	hmmm	16:19	\|	Joseph	28/09/07

51.	34 Mr.T,if you look at my post 19 you`ll get a better picture of	16:35	\|	lakshmi	28/09/07

52.	All religious & cultural traditions prohibit the destruction of	16:45	\|	lakshmi	28/09/07

53.	Mr T	16:49	\|	Jasmine Murphy	28/09/07

54.	Hamas Sees Only `Bullshit` Diplomacy	16:51	\|	Double Click	28/09/07

55.	lakshmi and friends	16:51	\|	scanadu	28/09/07

56.	Hamas and Islamic logic perfectly rational- if you are mad	16:54	\|	Chick	28/09/07

57.	Hamas is not going to get the people to join in this time	17:00	\|	Shepherd	28/09/07

58.	It`s a paradox	17:01	\|	Nechama	28/09/07

59.	Anyone responding to natallie	17:01	\|	ami	28/09/07

60.	Double Click	17:18	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	28/09/07

61.	You can`t bomb people into being your friends	17:27	\|	Jeff	28/09/07

62.	Israel`s enemy is it`s compassion	17:44	\|	Michael	28/09/07

63.	#2 Amos	17:47	\|	David	28/09/07

64.	Tell me Ibrahim, What do the Pals want??	17:49	\|	Massoud Levy	28/09/07

65.	31...repeating yourself, read my reply to your other post.... dit	18:01	\|	ravi	28/09/07

66.	59... compassion..!!!!!!!!!!!!!	18:03	\|	ravi	28/09/07

67.	Margie - Post #58	18:34	\|	Double Click	28/09/07

68.	#59 - Michael - No civilized country would be in this position	18:44	\|	Rick	28/09/07

69.	Re Natallie #27	18:50	\|	Esther	28/09/07

70.	#39 Post Colonial Chaos	20:12	\|	Nakomis	28/09/07

71.	jeff,you can`t suicide bomb people into being your friends either	20:25	\|	terrornator	28/09/07

72.	Natallie Durson NOT in LA -- but of course...	21:08	\|	S	28/09/07

73.	#61-Winning Friendship	22:14	\|	Nakomis	28/09/07

74.	What are you thinking?	19:14	\|	Paul	29/09/07

75.	Exactly!	19:16	\|	paul	29/09/07

76.	Gaza Paradox	20:06	\|	Emmie	29/09/07

77.	Paradox	02:11	\|	Paul	30/09/07

78.	Jon Feigenbaum	02:14	\|	Paul	30/09/07

79.	Innocent civvies	02:19	\|	paul	30/09/07

80.	#32, notblackorwhite...shame on us, you say?	03:34	\|	Silvienne	30/09/07

81.	#59, ami...ah, nice deduction!	03:36	\|	Silvienne	30/09/07

82.	It`s kulam	04:41	\|	Paul	30/09/07

83.	Where are you writing from Laksmi????	10:53	\|	MF	01/10/07

84.	Lakshmi`s million olive trees	11:03	\|	MF	01/10/07

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