Israel to continue fighting 'terror in Gaza' despite Hamas ceasefire plea
After briefing on Sunday, cabinet decides to instruct IDF to continue to work against terror in Gaza in order to stop the rocket fire which continues to pound Israel's southern region.
By Barak RavidIsrael has decided to continue to "work against terrorism in Gaza," despite Hamas' call for a ceasefire, Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser said on Sunday.
The political-security cabinet convened earlier in the day in order to discuss the current situation with Gaza. After being briefed on the latest developments, the cabinet decided to instruct the Israel Defense Forces and security officials to "continue to work against terrorism in Gaza in order to stop the firing on Israel and return quiet to southern Israel," Hauser said.
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A general view shows the launching of a rocket from the northern Gaza strip towards Israel April 9, 2011. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
During the meeting, the cabinet also approved a nation-wide home front defense drill called "Turning Point 5" which will take place in a few weeks.
Earlier on Sunday, Hamas made a rare direct appeal to the Israeli public to halt the current round of cross-border fighting, after a weekend of deadly violence that left 19 Palestinians dead.
"We are interested in calm but want the Israeli military to stop its operations," Hamas Deputy Foreign Minister Ghazi Hamad said in an interview on Israel Radio, adding that the group would cease its rocket attacks if Israel halted its military operations against Gaza militants.
Several mortar shells landed in Israel on Sunday, following a weekend during which over 120 rockets and mortars were fired at southern Israeli communities. Residents of the south have spent the past several nights in reinforced rooms.
Israel had no immediate comment on the Hamas appeal for a ceasefire.
"What happens from here on is up to the other side," an Israeli official told reporters in Tel Aviv, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It seems calmer now, but it is still not clear where this is going."
"We will judge the other side over the next few days. The extent to which Hamas controls the other militant groups will affect the way we choose to act," the Israeli official added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Sunday to respond "most harshly" if Palestinian militants continued to fire rockets and mortar shells at Israel.
"The Israel Defense Forces hit Hamas and the terrorist organization hard over the weekend," Netanyahu told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. "If attacks against Israeli civilians and the IDF continue, the response will be most harsh."
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Israel must enter Gaza to destroy Hamas. The Philadelphia corridor must be secured again and the border between Egypt and Israel must be made impenetrable to prevent further arms shipments to Hamas. Hamas terrorist must be neutralized in Gaza and hunted worldwide.
This is folly. Give peace (and so many people on both sides) a chance.
Hamas does not have precision guided missiles like Israel. and therefore shoots in the air without a definite target. On the other hand Israel is aggressor and delibrately fires precision guided bombs in the heavily populated areas. Israel started the current conflict for Political reasons. It always does when it comes under pressure from the International community.
Let Hamas cease fire. Then, and only then, should Israel stop firing.
Not only should Israel not stop until Hamas stops firing rockets first, Israel shouldn't stop until Hamas stops smuggling rockets (and other weapons) into the Strip, and stops plotting terror attacks. Why should Israel just sit back while Hamas plots her destruction?
If the USA was attacked with 120 rockets aimed at their cities, do you think they would sit back and watch it happen? Would China or Russia sit back and watch? I do not trust what hamas is asking Israel to do. hamas wants Israel to stop so that hamas can prop up their weapons chache.
What as in another Cast Lead? When now the entire international community will be putting civilian deaths and maiming, home and infrastructure destruction, under a microscope? And no surprise element exists so atrocities committed will be seen on the internet the same day? Israel will be treading softly all right. Or an immediate summons to The Hague is in store for its war criminals.
So when are we going to witness the summons of the Hamas folks?
Just imagine if Israel sends in ground troops. It will be a "massacre", a "genocide", an "atrocity", an "affront to international law", yada, yada, yada...
What hamas wants to achieve is a war in the hope that it will lead to Hizbullah rocketing and international intervention to preserve "peace", UN brand.
Israel is trying to start a war?!? HAMAS LAUNCHED AN ANTI-TANK MISSILE AT A SCHOOL BUS... A SCHOOL BUS!!! They have launched 120 rockets directed at CITIES! Erin- how is this something you can support?
Why doesn't this article mention why Hamas launched a rocket to began with? Why doesn't it talk about the bombardment by the Israeli government of the "tunnels" days before the rocket was launched by Hamas?
Those tunnels serve only two purposes: to bring in more weapon via Egypt, and to insert militants to kill or capture Israeli soldiers or civilians. THAT is why they are targeted. Yet like the fool you are, you claim that attacking them justifies Hamas firing of rockets.
While Hamas is working overtime to calm tensions, Israel is working double overtime to pave the way for war. There should be no delusions as to why Israel is not on the side of peace, never was and never will be. Israel's idea of a democracy is a joke. It this whole situation wasn't sad and demoralizing for the people of Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Gaza, Israel as a democracy would make for great satire.
Give me a break!
Your name says it all. How would you feel if 120 rockets were launched at your city? Get smart. Maybe if the palestinians accepted Israel there would be peace.
to calm tensions, every rocket overtime, every Kornet overtime, every school bus overtime. An overtime of 120 rockets. That is your argument for peace!
Whether you like my name or not is irrelevant quite frankly. What you and others like you need to understand is that Hamas is a force to be dealt with in the region. They have to be included in the peace process whether Israeli leaders like it or not. They are not going away and Israel's bombs will not make them go away. These wars are senseless. Wake up!
Hamas offered a 2 state solution? Political "wing" of Hamas tells you what you want to hear. Military "wing" of Hamas tells you what they really want. Hamas IS the problem. Hamas offers only one Islamic state after destroying Israel. You should want Israel to destroy Hamas because then it would likely be forced to give Gaza to the PA to have a 2 state solution.
you must be living on the moon .. Hamas wants the destruction of Israel you should listen better to what they say
I think, Israel should have decided to stop offensive actions and to continue only defensive and preventive actions. I.e., if rocket launching squad is spotted or militants approaching the fence or tunnel - than Israel, of course, must attack and liquidate the terrorists. But I think it's Israel's interest now to avoid escalation and also to minimize suffering of civilians on the both sides of the fence.
Today (April10.2011) Hamas has changed its tune....now wants no "escalation"!!! from what to what ?
The photo at the top of this article says it all. A Hamas rocket being fired from a residential area (a War Crime according to Geneva conventions), Then Israel gets the blame when Gazan civilians get hurt in any attempt to neutralize the launcher.
Israel must continue this offensive till hamas capability to terrorize diminished to a manageable level . Any rise in that capability in the future must be aggressively countered before Hamas again is able to start terrorizing the South .
Every decision made by the Israeli leadership is colored by their obsession with settlement expansion. This means there can be no peace. This means that American aid is needed. This means that Israel will continue to thumb it's nose at the UN and the international community. When will this end? The settlement expansion, which is the primary roadblock to peace, will end when Israel is forced to stop by outside pressure. That pressure is building, but it is not nearly to the point of stopping Israels building outside their borders.
After that it apllied negative ten pressure and shows green light to israel. After that it immediately lends support to Israel with weapons and Aid money. This is the real pressure that US applies.
As far as I can see, Hamas is trying desperately to contain the situation and restore calm, and Israel is refusing to cooperate, probably also encouraging breakaway elements in Gaza to continue the shelling and provide a pretext for Israeli retaliation. I think the UN needs very badly to investigate Israel's actions and motives, and the Quartet should take some action to curb Israel.
Given Goldstone's retraction it is obvious that he wouldn't care all that much.
And there really is a tooth fairy. Why are the rockets still flying? Must be launching the new Hamas satellite.
Based on rigorous research by B’Tselem on what resulted from Cast Lead forget Goldstone's views. I think the reasons for Goldstone's recantation should be subject to an intense UN investigation.
Only 20 rockets against civilians in day instead of 120. If they rule Gaza they should be held responsible for this war crime. If they are not than they welcome to go out.
More like Hamas wants a war under its terms...the ability to shoot anti-tank rockets at school buses without fearing retribution. Don't start a war if you are not ready for the consequences.
Hamas desperately trying to contain the situation? Nonsense. Simply stop firing rockets, and Israel will stop answering. It's just rocket science.
They play with fire and than run to the UN and cry that it is hot...Typical Arab's action...
Hamas stated the shooting!
And if that won't do they'll bring in more of the same!
His opinion matters more than the facts on the ground.
No body can do anything if Hammas does not alowe it.they are and have been al along in total controll you step out of line you get knee capped or trown of a biulding so donrtkid yourself mate .nobody does anything in Gazza without authority from Hammas period. when hammas they took over there were 5 different gangster groupsm who were running Gazza in 48 hours they were gone most of them killed.joseph theeboom
What's the problem Seems like Hamas have had enough.
Israel generally does a very good job of minimizing civilian casualties , despite the fact that Hamas operates in and around civilians. Unfortunately, accidents will happen (see NATO in Libya), but even Goldstone admitted as such recently. On the other hand, there are several military bases located within rocket distance of Gaza (I know of at least one large one), yet Hamas never attacks the IDF, only civilian populations. Why is that?????? And why do people defend them????
It is important to remember that Israel kills many times the number of civilians as are killed by the militants. It is not even close. Many Israel supporters take the position that Israel kills ten times more civilians by accident than Hamas kills on purpose. This position may look good and defensible to them but to the rest of the world it is a joke.
hide in the general Palestinian population behind the skirts of women, and children, and men? Why do they not wear uniforms? It is very sad when the innocent are killed. Israel would never purposely kill an innocent civilian.
So, the simple answer to your question is that Hamas wants civilian casualties on both sides. They want to hurt Israeli civilians because it forces the government to react for legal and political reasons. And most of all, Hamas wants Palestinian civilian deaths and injuries so they can portray themselves as defenders of the victimized to the rest of the world. And people like Natallie eat it up with a spoon!
Terror supporters, like you, are a joke, Durson. You defend the indefensible with your skewed views.
why not pointing it to syria and iran with the message : return to sender ?????
the fact that only a few Israel's are being hurt is only a credit to Israel's ingenuity, and not to Hamas's lack of deliberate intent, but rather incompetency. Their attempt to kill thousands of civilians is evident by the fact the thousands of rockets launched are deliberately targeted at civilians. Stop defending Hamas actions by their limited success, what if one of those few Israeli's killed was your immediate family???
I'm 6ft4 and 100kg. If a guy who's 5ft6 and 70kg come up to me and picks a fight, starts hitting me, am I not allowed to defend myself and respond by hitting him back because I'm bigger and stronger than him and more likely to injure him than him injure me? No... I didn't so.
Natallie, What is your reaction to Hamas launching an anti-tank missile at a school bus. Anti-tank missiles must be locked on a target before being shot. It would have been very clear where they were shooting a rocket. So, Natallie why is it not a problem for you that Hamas intentionally targets civilians? Please tell..
Stop shooting, and the problem goes away
Hamas uses unguided rockets only after Israeli aggression ("tunnel bombings"). Hamas has never initiated a bombing campaign without an acceptable motive. Hamas has even stated that the "empty" school bus was not their intended target. The feable rockets they launch are symbols of resistance to the brutal indiscrimate bombardments by US made bunker buster bombs.
Anti-tank missiles are not 'unguided' that is simply untrue. And the 'big bad' Israel evacuated ALL of Gaza in a one sided move towards peace. Hamas' response is demanding all of the land of Israel, and continually launching lockets at CIVILIAN CITIES. It is a crime against humanity, not a symbol of resistance. Can you honestly say that if the arab countries surrounding Israel declared they wanted to live in peace, Israel would ever go to war?