Egyptian official: Israel achieved all of its military goals in Gaza
Paratrooper commander: IDF reached its goals in Gaza operation
By Haaretz Service and Army Radio Tags: Hamas Gaza Israel news IDFAn Egyptian official has said that Israel achieved all of its military objectives during "Operation Cast Lead" in the Gaza Strip, having exacted serious blows to Hamas and it's infrastructure, according to an article published in the Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat on Saturday.
The official is quoted in the article as saying that senior Hamas leaders are still in hiding out of fear of Israel Defense Forces strikes, and that Israel is not interested in pursuing a new calm or Tahadiyeh with the militant group.
On Friday, the commander of the IDF Paratroopers' Brigade, Colonel Hertzi Halevy, said that the IDF achieved its goals during Cast Lead, according to Israel Radio.
During an interview with Israel Radio, Halevy said that no one expected to rid the Strip entirely of rocket launchers or smuggling tunnels, but that the operation will teach Hamas that "a second round won't be such a good idea."
Halevy added that during the fighting his troops came across a large number of explosive devices, booby-trapped houses, and attempted kidnappings of IDF troops.
When asked about the high number of civilian casualties in the Strip, Halevy told Israel Radio that his soldiers gave a huge effort to ensure that civilians were not harmed.
Halevy also told Israel Radio he is hopeful that the operation will help forge conditions that make it easier to bring about the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, held by Hamas in Gaza since 2006.
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