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Olmert wants the operation to be "prolonged and exhausting,"
heh! Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday rejected a proposal by Defense Minister Amir Peretz and the Israel Defense Forces for a ground operation in the northern Gaza Strip against the ongoing Qassam rocket fire. Olmert demanded that they present him with an approved operational plan. According to government sources, the operation, which will target Beit Hanun, will take place, but Olmert wants the operation to be "prolonged and exhausting," and did not believe that the plan he was shown fit the bill. The decision was made following consultations held by Olmert and Peretz with security officials, after Egypt asked Israel to allow more time for negotiations on the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, abducted Sunday from a post near the Gaza border. The sources added that while IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz approved the plan, other IDF officers opposed it, and Olmert was informed of their objections. The operation was aimed at halting Qassam rockets from being fired at southern Israel. Meanwhile, six of the homemade rockets struck the western Negev and Sderot on Thursday evening. There were no casualties. Defense officials were furious at Peretz Thursday night, accusing him both of revealing that the planned military offensive in northern Gaza had been postponed and of denying initial reports that the postponement had been at Egypt's request. Egypt had asked Israel to delay the operation at the beginning of the week, in order to allow time for diplomatic efforts to obtain the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. However, though negotiations with Hamas officials both in the territories and outside them are continuing, the talks have yet to yield a breakthrough. Posted by: 3dc 2006-06-30 |
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