Report: Hamas arrests militants planning to fire rockets at Israel

Sounds like fairy stories to me Murray ,but that,s what the Arabs believe in ,which gives credence to all the battles , wars ,conflicts they have lost in the last 60 years.

If Hamas is made to look good ,so saith Don in Boston ,then maybe he should look into his bathroom mirror and see the ghosts of Hamas cowards crying to him for salvation.

1,400 Palestinians were "martyred" compared to a handful of Israelis and as well, many more Gazans were injured. Infrastructure was destroyed in Gaza compared to really no damage in Israel. The water supply of Gaza faces real danger. And now, according to the above; "Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has organized a crackdown against Palestinian factions to curb the attacks against Israel." Who is the real idiot, Viper?

So, the report criticizes Israel and Hamas respectively, Israel for indiscriminate killings of hundreds of innocent civilians, and Hamas for shooting rockets that they knew would land near or in civilian areas. Obviously the assymetry of power is on Israel's side. Yet, Hamas accepted the Goldstone findings which I was shocked they would since they were found guilty, while Israel doesn't? Seems to me if you call Hamas a terror organization, then the Isreali government is as well. Too bad this Goldstone didn't realize that an easy solution to this conflict would be if Israel left the occupied territories which obviously it won't because it wants to expand into greater israel so some messiah returns and the temple is rebuilt.

More control over the militant misfits in and out of their ranks and they'll have more energy and capital to build the wastelands of Gaza that even the Philistines (no DNA relationship whatsoever except for in revisionist literature) were easily able to do with 3000 year-old technology and no Western handouts.

A very credible UN report by a Jewish war crimes prosecutor finds war crimes by Israel and Hamas. Israel conducts its phony investigation, calling its own soldiers who witnessed atrocities liars. No one believes them. The white phosphorus shells are shown on video worldwide, young children are shown with horrific phosphorus burns, but Israel declares no problem. Hamas is found by the international community to be committing war crimes by indiscriminant rocket attacks, so it makes a very visible effort to prevent the condemned indiscrimant attacks from continuing from its territory. Israel laughs and lies to the World. Hamas accepts the conclusions and reforms. This may not be what is happening behind the scenes, but it is what the world sees. Cast Lead and the phony investigation may ultimately turn out to be Israel's worst mistakes, the ones that alienate even the US. Who would have thought Israel could make Hamas look good?

"Hamas is playing it smart... and it would be smart for them to continue to do so." - Leo Hamass is doing nothing it didn't do during the cease fire last fall. For Hamas the cease fire was an effort to show it could control competing extremists. For Israel it was just a chance to prepare for an offensive after it broke the Cease Fire. This effort will probably come to no better end. Hamas will revert after a cease fire fails and Israel will ensure it fails. At least for a while there will be fewer rockets and mortars falling on Israel and fewer Israeli retaliations.

Are we to be so naive to believe this report?

Which means that Palestinians won't hear Hamas famous "You will die as martyrs" before they start shooting from behind them.

Why look for ulterior motives?. Let us give credit to Hamas for understanding that the shelling of Israeli civilians led nowhere and leads nowhere. Hamas has the authority and support to crack down on undisciplined militants, and it shows Israel and the world that it is interested in calm and hopefully eventually in peace.

you all make me laugh, considering that never in israels history have so many "soul searching" been done because of the failure, dare to attack lebanon again, even if you demolished every building, i can garauntee you 100% that hezbollah will be ready and waiting, don't believe me? dig into the net and find out what the idf and american army really thinks what will happen if you do.

I rather suspect it is trying to win some brownie points to deflect the criticisms of it in the Goldstone Report. Sort of a 'see we are not so bad' moment. We must remember that the same was true during September and October of last year when it was trying to uphold the cease fire with Israel. Hamas is quick to take every opportunity for propaganda and right now is an opportunity to look better than they should. Whether it can keep the lid is another question.

It must end the Illegal Settlements. It must end it,s collecrive punishment of the Palestinian people. There is more---but we will start with that. BTW are you taking the time while in Ireland to talk to people who know a thing or two about Oppression, or does that subject bore you. Try a little balance when in Ireland my wandering Jew.You will find an ear much more readily.

Ahmed don't you dare fire that rocket, those friggin Israelis will fire back!!!!! Ahmed, we told you not to fire that rocket, those friggin Israelis will fire back!!!! Ahmed!!! But Yasser always let us fire anyways. Ahmed!!! But you always told us to fire anyways. Ahmed!!! Goodness gracious you mean to say that the Arabs really CAN control rocket fire???? whew, and all these years the poor sods said it was out of their control, it wasn't them. Ahmed!!! bang, bang.... Next.

In order to comply with international law, the next time that Israel invades Gaza they may only use rubber bullets and fire below the knees at their adversaries, who must be over 6'6" tall. Bombs may not weigh over 454 grams and they are only to imitate real bombs by making a boom sound, and that sound may not exceed 50 decibels. All hostile activities must cease at 16:00 and not commence again until 09:00. There are to be no hostile activities from Thursday sundown until sundown on Wednesday, and IDF forces must withdraw from Gaza for those periods. The IDF may only use motorcycles when invading. Tanks and APCs are forbidden. Hamas may use any means at any time to attack Israel as they are "freedom fighters".

Obviously if Annon in London had been reading the news between 2001 and 2008, s/he would have instantly realized that war crimes were being committed by the Palestinians against innocent Israeli civilians. You'd think that 8 continuous years of news reports might have woken up even a few Europeans and even some Americans to the suffering of the Israeli population. For the record, I don't condemn Annon or other innocent ignorant Europeans or Americans for falling into the Palestinian propaganda trap. The Palestinians suckered Israel into a public relations nightmare, but the result is indeed successful. The thousands of rockets and mortars fired at Israeli civilians - a clear war crime - has been reduced to a trickle. It was indeed a military victory. I invite you to come from London and spend a week in Sderot to find out for yourself.

Hamas is playing it smart... and it would be smart for them to continue to do so. One day, all of Israel's agressors will realize that their arms are not long enough to box with God (Yahweh!)

If Hamas wants to be accepted by the "international community," it must behave like a responsible partner in any deal with Abbas and Israel.

They want to prove to the UN and the rest of the world that Israel is the aggressors, not Hamas. Therefore they wont launch rockets into Israel and live in peace and security. The issue is Jerusalem is still fresh. I doubt the Israel gov't will allow this to continue, because if they do then we all know Intifada part 3 will arise, and this time Palestinians will have a lot more support from the muslim world.

i can tell you that my children and all of their friends are VERY much more aware of the injustices being perpetrated on innocents on both sides of this conflict. They are also very aware of the complete and utter stupidity masquerading as Islam and Judaism and how those of low intelligence can allow themselves the delusion that their beliefs have even the slightest basis in fact.

Me dont think so. Israel will never again carry out the barbarism that was Cast Lead. In that sense it was successful. Now if Israel can use it,s lesson from that--it should move to making peace. But we all know that peace is not on the Agenda. The Greater Israel is. But you will have to get there without Cast lead style tactics. Remember--you are running out of options.

Me dont think so. Israel will never again carry out the barbarism that was Cast Lead. In that sense it was successful. Now if Israel can use it,s lesson from that--it should move to making peace. But we all know that peace is not on the Agenda. The Greater Israel is. But you will have to get there without Cast lead style tactics. Remember--you are running out of options.

Long suffering Gazan population. I love that characterization. If they are suffering so much why is their life expectancy rates among the highest in the Arab world? Why aren't Syrians, long suffering Syrian population given the miserable conditions they seem to have made for themselves? Anon, who buys your propaganda anymore?

hospitals..hahaha

is thinking twice before acting again.

Saying is one thing doing is another. HAMAS was saying but was doing nothing on this subject. I know one think if you would experienced the destruction that they had experienced last year you would think twice before firing rockets to Israel. If not HAMAS but you were in power what would you do. It is clear that the problem was not with the Israeli politicians, but sollely it was with HAMAS. If HAMAS would done their homework last year, like they are now doing believe me there wouldn't be any CAST LEAD. Aby

...firing rockets (at this point) will only serve natanyahu's likud interests...Cast Lead did work, but in favor of hamas, now that israel is 'facing' serious charges of war crime for the firsrt time...and the palestinian narrative is the internatinally accepted narrative of the conflict ie the palestinians are the true victims, that hamas (legitimately)represents a significant portion of the palestinian...

Awww poor hamas is tired of rebuilding terrorist tunnels. Too bad. Tunnels should be bombed periodically. Let them waste their time building them and then let IAF knock them down. The hamster effect for hamas. Keep running around and getting nowhere.

It is obvious that Hamas does not want to provoke Israel into another military self-defence operation.

"I am saddened that some Israelis feel this `fish in a barrel` target practice was a military victory." You forgot to mention that these fish had been firing rockets into Israel for many years, but we're all deeply touched by your misplaced sympathy.

The firing of rockets wasn't in the strategical interest of Hamas BEFORE Israel started with operation "Cast Lead", and Hamas said so many times.... ....the problem was, that Israels politicians didn't wanna listen to them, because there were elections looming in Israel, and they thought that a tough line against the militants and civilians in Gaza would be rewarded by the hawkish average Israeli voter.

perhaps you're too young to remember the"blitz" by Nazi Germany sending V1 and V2 rocket to terrorize the nation. What was the British answer then: they bombed indiscrimatelly German cities as revenche. More people were killed through these bombardement than by the German rockets. Whom would you have supported ? Think before you write or speak. On TV you saw what HAMAS wanted you to see!

To those saying that cast was was successful -Yes it was - but not for Isreal. What this 'opperation' did was to wake up a vast number of young Europeans and even some Americans as to the suffering of the Gazan population. The collective punishment of a civilian population for the actions of militants was felt to be a grave injustice by many, many people of all faiths in my country. For the record I don't condone rocket attacks by Hamas or other groups, but the real terror as witnessed on live TV and other footage, was seen to come from Israel through the use of modern, advanced, and dubious munitions on a mainly unarmed civilian population held in 'siege' conditions. I am saddened that some Israelis feel this 'fish in a barrel' target practice was a military victory.

Hamas asserting control over it's occupants to obstain from rocket firing has taken a long time, and cost a lot of Palestinian lives. But atlast it has shown Cast Lead was justified. Now it has to liberalize it's political repression and unite with Fatah before there can be genuine movement to a Palestinian State that is viable and humane. Goldstone was wrong by focusing on the damage of war, he should have addressed the cause of the war which was Hamas firing and encouraging others to launch rockets into Israel. One step back, one step foward gets you to where you started. Are the Palestiians ready to be civil and deserve a state of their own?

Hamas understandably wants to limit hostilities against Israel, in view of Operation Cast Lead, which undermined support for Hamas, no matter what it claims, and in view of the potential prisoner/hostage swap, which can restore some of Hamas' tarneshed luster. But there are others who want top shoot shells, launch rockets, no matter what, not being in any position of responsibility or control. The question is whether Hamas can control these.

Arabs stockpiled stones to throw at Jews praying at the Kotel which supports the Temple Mount. And does anyone really believe this story? I for one don't. An Arab newspaper reports something and you pass it on as truth. I have lovely land called the Everglades, with good water access here in Florida to sell!

It is not because they are peace-loving. On the contrary. Imagine the party they are going to throw for the release of over 1000 terrorist with blood on their hands!

More likely reason is so the IDF don't have the excuse to bomb anymore tunnels so that they (Hamas) can build up arms again!!!

"The reported crackdown comes following publication of the Goldstone Commission's investigation into Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip earlier this year." That does not mean that the crackdown is in any way the result of the Goldstone Report. Nothing in this report provides evidence in support of that proposition. Fact is, that there has been a crackdown in place for months. About 10 rockets fired in 6 months. Cast Lead worked.

This is one more example of contrived "news" reports coming from the Arab newspapers, which for some reason Israeli media picks up on. How many times has this Arab paper trumpted an "impending" release of Shalit, or attack on Iran, etc. The Arab press regularly releases fabricated stories for internal Arab political reasons, such as to embarrass or pressure somebody, or to distract from some other problem. I would take this news item with a grain of salt.

I thought that Hamas is a terrorist organization and that Israel is a sovereign state with "the most moral army in the world". How can it be possible that both Hamas and Israel committed warcrimes, yet Hamas is the only one "trying" to do something about it ?