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Palestinian militants fire a Qassam rocket into Israel. (Reuters)
Last update - 16:35 06/07/2008
General Staff: Use force in response to Qassams
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff
Tags: Gaza Strip, Hamas 

Israel should respond to the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip with a targeted military response, the Israel Defense Forces General Staff stated in a document distributed to government and military leaders last week.

Israel has so far responded to infractions of the two-week-old truce with Hamas by closing its crossings into the Strip.

Several IDF officers reportedly believe that Ehud Barak's decision to close the crossings did not go far enough. They say Hamas wants the calm to continue because it serves the organization's interests, and that Israel cannot allow itself not to respond definitively to the rocket fire.
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Meanwhile, Hamas said Friday it was suspending talks over the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit until the crossings are reopened. Osama al-Muzaini, the Hamas official in charge of the talks on Shalit, said the organization would give no signs of life from Shalit, including letters or recordings.

The deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, Musa Abu-Marzuk, said Friday that Hamas had cancelled its representatives' trip to Cairo for talks on Shalit's release because Israel had not kept its part of the bargain, by closing the crossings in response to the rockets.

Noam Shalit, the kidnapped soldier's father, said: "Even if statements are attributed to some Hamas official, I'm not sure they are correct."

Since the cease-fire went into effect, at least seven rockets and five mortars have been fired into Israeli territory by smaller Palestinian factions disobeying Hamas' orders.

Hamas has publicly threatened those who break the truce and has made some arrests.

Muzaini also said his organization was still demanding the release of Arab Israeli and East Jerusalemite prisoners. Muzaini said Hamas was demanding 450 prisoners, including some serving life sentences, at the first stage of a swap.

Muzaini said Israel had agreed to only 71 names on the list, which it received through the Egyptians, and that Hamas had agreed to Israel's objection to only 10 names. He said Hamas wanted Israel to release 500 more prisoners at the second stage of the agreement, a few months after the first stage.

In an interview with the London-based Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat, Abu-Marzuk accused Fatah strongman Mohammad Dahlan, the former PA national security adviser, and Fatah of responsibility for the rocket fire on the Negev.

"It is not logical to begin negotiating over prisoners when Israel is not meeting its obligations on the tahadiyeh," he said. Abu-Marzuk said the Egyptians were going to pressure Israel to open the crossings.

Related articles:
  • Qassam hits Negev, sixth since start of Gaza truce
  • Olmert: Don't interpret Israel's restraint in Gaza as weakness
  • Olmert: Israel mulling response to renewed Qassam fire
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      1.   What on earth is he talking about?? 03:54  |  Silvienne 06/07/08
      2.   This is what it will be like with Hamas 05:05  |  Rambo 06/07/08
      3.   No, Declare The Tahadiyeh To Be Over 05:12  |  Jeff Northridge 06/07/08
      4.   IDF killed 449 palestinians (66 children) so far in 2008 05:13  |  bashar 06/07/08
      5.   Natural reaction from palestinians, they are occupied 05:19  |  ALGERIAN 06/07/08
      6.   The General Staff argument would work 05:22  |  Arie 06/07/08
      7.   Israel can release a lot of prisoners... 05:39  |  Ron 06/07/08
      8.   Wars are lost by politics 06:12  |  Baruch Obombya 06/07/08
      9.   Do NOT respond to Qassams with force 06:29  |  Awake 06/07/08
      10.   The time for military action against Gaza is long overdue. 07:11  |  Jean Van Daem 06/07/08
      11.   Shalit should have been returned by now 07:39  |  Dror 06/07/08
      12.   STRENGTH IS ONLY DEMONSTRATED BY USE OF FORCE 07:52  |  Shmuel 06/07/08
      13.   DO respond to Qassams with overwhelming force 07:58  |  vik 06/07/08
      14.   Success or failure? That depends 08:09  |  Natallie Durson 06/07/08
      15.   Bashar IDF killed 449 terrorists Hamas murdered Israeli civilians 08:12  |  Dan 06/07/08
      16.   Shalit - a result of negotiating bones before the living 08:48  |  S 06/07/08
      17.   IRAN IS SWALLOWING UP THE MIDDLE EAST! 08:49  |  TIME TO NUKE THEM 06/07/08
      18.   the tahadieh only benefits Hamas 08:54  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/07/08
      19.   What is Israel afraid of? 09:11  |  netta 06/07/08
      20.   #115, S, absolutely right 09:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/07/08
      21.   Algerian 09:37  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/07/08
      22.   #9 Awake 09:47  |  Jim 06/07/08
      23.   To Bashar No. 4 on IDF Kills. 09:57  |  Natan 06/07/08
      24.   How to help Shalit? 10:01  |  Vital 06/07/08
      25.   #13 vik 10:11  |  Jim 06/07/08
      26.   I disagree Cipora Juliana Kohn 10:17  |  Awake 06/07/08
      27.   #26, Awake 10:34  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/07/08
      28.   #14 Natalie Durson 10:58  |  JIm 06/07/08
      29.   #17 re: Time to nuke them 11:13  |  Jim 06/07/08
      30.   #19 netta 11:27  |  Jim 06/07/08
      31.   Oh come on this is silly 11:59  |  barak 06/07/08
      32.   #21 No, it is you who are wrong, Molive 12:44  |  sh 06/07/08
      33.   This was predictable 13:51  |  JS 06/07/08
      34.   Real Terrorists = Government of Israel 13:52  |  Solomon 06/07/08
      35.   Howzat Gush Katif thing workin` out??? 13:55  |  Gideon Reader 06/07/08
      36.   Opening Rafah crossing will cause mass exodus. 14:07  |  Stephen. 06/07/08
      37.   Barak 28 14:13  |  jackie 06/07/08
      38.   Barak`s amateur hood talk 14:19  |  x-ray 06/07/08
      39.   "Awake" the PR expert 14:28  |  Goldenberg 06/07/08
      40.   Use Force in Response to Kassams 14:31  |  JordanisPalestine 06/07/08
      41.   To # 5 - Israel liberated own land, not occupied. 14:37  |  Vital 06/07/08
      42.   #4 Bashar - Just how many of the dead 14:41  |  * BEN JABO 06/07/08
      43.   #25 Jim - Tenn 14:45  |  * BEN JABO 06/07/08
      44.   #1 Sylvienne; Not since the truce went into effect 15:23  |  Ian Robertson 06/07/08
      45.   Um, Yes that is obvious, Israel must invade Gaza 15:33  |  Baruch Gold 06/07/08
      46.   # to 7 Natural reaction of Israel to enemy attacks 15:58  |  CM 06/07/08
      47.   #1 Silvienne - One might say the same about you 15:58  |  * BEN JABO 06/07/08
      48.   Hamas needs this exchange 15:59  |  sabra 06/07/08
      49.   #32 Solomon - You are not wise at all 16:02  |  * BEN JABO 06/07/08
      50.   How are people living in their own land called refugees? 16:08  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/07/08
      51.   USE FORCE IN RESPONSE TO WHAT? 16:27  |  indrajaya 06/07/08
      52.   ALGERIAN # 5 Gazan "Refugees" 16:32  |  Jeff Northridge 06/07/08
      53.   Things are proceeding quite well, thank you 16:36  |  Tosefta 06/07/08
      54.   Thousands of Rockets Fired on Gaza Jews. VICTIMS were PUNISHED! 16:38  |  Linda Rivera 06/07/08
      55.   Response to Goldenberg and C. J. Kohn 17:24  |  Awake 06/07/08
      56.   TRUCE FAILED 17:38  |  Bruce Rubin 06/07/08
      57.   What Brave IDF General-NONE will lead IDF troops against Hamas 17:41  |  Yossi Cronenberg 06/07/08
      58.   No. 32 sh 18:21  |  William Brown 06/07/08
      59.   olmert is saving IDF firepower for much more important mission 18:40  |  chaim schonbrun 06/07/08
      60.   #32 re #21 Algerian 18:52  |  Eva 06/07/08
      61.   KEFEL 18:54  |  docD 06/07/08
      62.   #51 Jeff re algerian 19:19  |  Labhras 06/07/08
      63.   Things are proceeding quite well, thank you 19:26  |  Tosefta 06/07/08
      64.   Hello there, Shmule 19:29  |  Gray 06/07/08
      65.   Hello there, Shmule 19:40  |  Gray 06/07/08
      66.   ALGERIAN 20:19  |  JOJO 06/07/08
      67.   Things are proceeding quite badly thank you 20:28  |  x-ray 06/07/08
      68.   sh # 32 You`re Forgetting Something 20:39  |  Jeff Northridge 06/07/08
      69.   Refugees (Jeff Northridge #66; re Sh) 21:26  |  Tosefta 06/07/08
      70.   Labhras # 62 An Economic Blockade Is Not An Occupation (part 1) 21:37  |  Jeff Northridge 06/07/08