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Defense Minister Ehud Barak. (Ariel Hermoni)
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Last update - 21:57 05/12/2007
Barak: We aren't eager to launch major IDF operation in Gaza Strip
By Avi Issacharoff , Yuval Azoulay and Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Hamas, Gaza Strip, Ehud Barak 

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday that Israel is not eager to launch a major military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Barak addressed troops of the elite Israel Defense Forces unit Golani while on tour of the southern Gaza command. "We are likely to launch a much wider operation in Gaza, but we're not rushing toward it. We will do it once all the other possibilities have been exhausted," he said.

In the past month, more than 40 militants have been killed in Gaza by IDF troops, mostly of the Golani brigade, which is deployed around Gaza.
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When asked why the IDF does not undertake a military offensive immediately, Barak replied: "What we are doing here is remarkable, inside and outside the Gaza Strip. We've seen the soldiers responsibly, seriously, modestly and devotedly, day and night, carrying out actions against terrorists and terror organizations."

Barak added that despite Israel's military achievements, the capabilities of the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad are improving.

A Qassam rocket, fired from the Gaza Strip, smashed into a three-story residential building in the western Negev town of Sderot Wednesday causing heavy damage and leaving several people suffering from shock.

At the time of the hit, a demonstration held by social groups was taking place in front of the Sderot municipality building, and which was attended by Secondary School Teachers Association Chairman Ran Erez.

Earlier Wednesday, two Hamas militants were killed in an Israel Air Force strike on the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya.

Two other Palestinians were wounded in the strike, although it was not immediately clear whether they were militants or civilians.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the strike, saying the IAF targeted a Hamas squad preparing to fire mortar shells at Israeli communities along the Strip.

On Tuesday, an IAF strike on a Hamas training base killed at least two militants and wounded two others, as Israel pledged to press ahead with its campaign against militants in Gaza, responding to almost daily rocket barrages at Israel.

The military said that on Tuesday, 21 rockets and mortars were fired at Israel by nightfall, bringing the one-year total to over 2,000.

Army Radio reported Tuesday that an IDF soldier had been lightly injured during a mortar shell attack near Kibbutz Nahal Oz in the western Negev. On Sunday, four soldiers were lightly hurt when Palestinian militants in Gaza fired mortar shells into an infirmary of a western Negev army base.

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      1.   27 enemies less 09:10  |  Vitaly 05/12/07
      2.   One does wonder 09:49  |  Adrian de KLerk 05/12/07
      3.   Oh gee 09:52  |  Adrian de Klerk 05/12/07
      4.   I love the picture above 10:21  |  maurice 05/12/07
      5.   Excess population pressure? 11:30  |  Yonatan 05/12/07
      6.   Vitaly - "In the end..." 12:31  |  Awake 05/12/07
      7.   Maan News:reports that israel has used clusters & shells filled 13:51  |  lakshmi 05/12/07
      8.   Maan news is ridiculous 13:57  |  Israeli 05/12/07
      9.   Remember Grozny, carpeted by Russia, no terrorists anymore 14:15  |  Jean 05/12/07
      10.   #7 Lakshmi 14:17  |  Nemesis 05/12/07
      11.   Seem like ethnic cleansing to me.... 14:39  |  Peter 05/12/07
      12.   Death Toll: 30 Palestinians VS. 0 Israelis = ethnic cleansing 14:53  |  Peter 05/12/07
      13.   #11+12 Peter of Toronto, May you have many more opportunities 15:09  |  Murray of Montreal 05/12/07
      14.   Well, it is about time that Israel did what they had to do! 15:17  |  Clarence Darrow 05/12/07
      15.   # 7 lakshmi....that would be the only paper 15:37  |  Lynn 05/12/07
      16.   # 7 Lakshmi - Maan omits to mention 15:46  |  ChanahS 05/12/07
      17.   Peter=POP=Same Dunce 15:55  |  Honest Observation 05/12/07
      18.   # 12 Peter...so, in your logic there must be 16:02  |  Lynn 05/12/07
      19.   Pals launch more missiles than Israel does! 16:32  |  Richard S 05/12/07
      20.   Israel society is low on the food chain of civilization 16:38  |  Dutch 05/12/07
      21.   DUTCH AND THE RULE OF LAW 16:56  |  Brant 05/12/07
      22.   Lakshmi Sings: There`s No Credibility Like Pally Credibility 17:09  |  Tex 05/12/07
      23.   to dutch #20 17:11  |  russki 05/12/07
      24.   Rule of law 17:26  |  Charlie 05/12/07
      25.   A son for Laksh. to learn, 2nd try. WHAT IS HAARETZ SCARED OF? 18:02  |  Nephtaly 05/12/07
      26.   ?? 18:20  |  Fares 05/12/07
      27.   Fares 18:55  |  ChanahS 05/12/07
      28.   Fares Blunders: More Than A Day Off 19:02  |  UR Nuts 05/12/07
      29.   #27 and 28 19:16  |  Fares 05/12/07
      30.   hamas and lieberman 19:19  |  Fares 05/12/07
      31.   #12 ethnic cleansing 19:41  |  Observer 05/12/07
      32.   #26--?? 19:51  |  Observer 05/12/07
      33.   Fares 19:55  |  Observer 05/12/07
      34.   Brant, I can`t see how you can claim Qassams are deadly 19:58  |  Dutch 05/12/07
      35.   A Direct Qassam Hit And No Casualties 20:15  |  chet 05/12/07
      36.   The Point, Fares... 20:23  |  UR Nuts 05/12/07
      37.   Pal Propaganda 20:27  |  Nemesis 05/12/07
      38.   #32 - twisted logic 20:35  |  Fares 05/12/07
      39.   Observer #33 20:36  |  Fares 05/12/07
      40.   #36 - ball is in Israel`s court. 20:46  |  Fares 05/12/07
      41.   to nemesis 20:47  |  fares 05/12/07
      42.   #41..fares 21:00  |  Nemesis 05/12/07
      43.   #34 21:20  |  B 05/12/07
      44.   #40 21:26  |  B 05/12/07
      45.   Fares 29 21:27  |  ChanahS 05/12/07
      46.   Dutch is very wrong in his facts 21:30  |  DavidAK 05/12/07
      47.   QUALIFYING QASSAMS 21:41  |  Brant 05/12/07
      48.   barak and gaza 21:51  |  marcel 05/12/07
      49.   Barak 22:21  |  Edifice 05/12/07
      50.   Adrian de KLerk 22:27  |  GPS 05/12/07
      51.   #35-chet`s clam chowder 22:28  |  peter 05/12/07
      52.   Nephtaly #25 22:31  |  GPS 05/12/07
      53.   Blind Dutch `can`t see` 22:38  |  Double Dutch 05/12/07
      54.   Talk loudly and carry a small stick 22:44  |  dis belief 05/12/07
      55.   35 childish chet 22:46  |  ChanahS 05/12/07
      56.   GPS 22:48  |  Nephtaly 05/12/07
      57.   Where Are the Lefties - Where is Olmert`s Wife and Daughter ? 22:59  |  Tod Zuckerman 05/12/07
      58.   #35..Chet 23:02  |  Nemesis 05/12/07
      59.   BARAK HAS FAILED YET AGAIN - OUT WITH THE FOOL 23:34  |  Sid 05/12/07
      60.   Translating Ehud Barak`s statements into English 23:36  |  Pablo B 05/12/07
      61.   Heavier Fire, IAF, Cut Supplies 23:36  |  Ron 05/12/07
      62.   Tod,I`m hurrying to assuage you Aliza&Dana Olmert are sound&safe, 23:46  |  Absolute Sweden 05/12/07
      63.   Slappin` Dutch 23:50  |  Ron 05/12/07
      64.   Peter in Toronto 00:27  |  rich 06/12/07
      65.   Strong leadership needed 00:29  |  Brod 06/12/07
      66.   peter a real peter 00:42  |  larry from maine 06/12/07
      67.   Dutch #24 00:46  |  Steve 06/12/07
      68.   #35 CHET 00:54  |  Steve 06/12/07
      69.   #12 Peter 00:56  |  * BEN JABO 06/12/07
      70.   #57 Zuckerman 00:57  |  s 06/12/07
      71.   #20 DEMENTED DUTCH 01:01  |  * BEN JABO 06/12/07
      72.   #38 Fares - Do you "GUARANTEE IT" 01:08  |  * BEN JABO 06/12/07
      73.   Define `terrorist` 01:10  |  Boycott 06/12/07
      74.   #47 Brant does a Rant. 01:17  |  Johnboy 06/12/07
      75.   Qassams cause loss of limbs, serious injuries 02:08  |  Free Gilad Shalit 06/12/07
      76.   I wish Barak would make up his mind 02:28  |  * BEN JABO 06/12/07
      77.   #35 chet 05:49  |  Franco 06/12/07
      78.   6 people injured Wednesday by Qasams 14:17  |  Free Gilad Shalit 06/12/07
      79.   #71, Ben Jabo to Dutch... 18:34  |  Silvienne 06/12/07
      80.   #76, Ben Jabo... 18:39  |  Silvienne 06/12/07
      81.   #74, Johnboy is correct... 18:55  |  Silvienne 06/12/07
      82.   #79 Silvienne 01:47  |  * BEN JABO 07/12/07
      83.   #80 Silvienne 01:49  |  * BEN JABO 07/12/07
      84.   #81 Silvienne - you`re wrong 01:52  |  * BEN JABO 07/12/07
      85.   #84 A gung-ho BEN JABO has the answer 04:10  |  Johnboy 07/12/07
      86.   Johnboy and proportionality #85 15:05  |  Ian Robertson 07/12/07
      87.   Winning is not stopping Qassams 18:13  |  Realist 07/12/07
      88.   #85 Johnboy 23:44  |  * BEN JABO 07/12/07
      89.   #86 Ian Robertson uses WW2 as the yardstick 00:42  |  Johnboy 08/12/07
      90.   sderot 04:00  |  jerry chez 08/12/07
      91.   #88 Johnboy - Gung Ho 12:53  |  * BEN JABO 08/12/07
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