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Israel steps up threats to invade Gazoo
JERUSALEM - Israel escalated its threats on Tuesday to invade the Hamas-run Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian rocket fire after a plan to impose economic sanctions drew objections from legal experts and foreign powers.
At some point it's time to stop talking and start thumping ...
Since quitting Gaza in 2005, Israel has mounted regular commando raids and air strikes on rocket crews but the salvoes have not ceased. Islamist Hamas’s takeover of the territory in June stoked calls in the Jewish state for a big military sweep. “Every passing day brings us closer to a broad operation in Gaza,” Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak told reporters. “We are not looking forward to it (and) we would be happy if circumstances prevented it.”

Israel, which controls official Gazan border crossings, began reducing the amount of fuel pumped to Gaza this week. It also wants to reduce power supplies but has put that on hold. The sanctions, which were put together by Barak, prompted UN and EU delegates to urge Israel not to impose “collective punishment”, illegal under international law, on Gaza’s 1.5 million residents.
Because one or two of them might be innocent ... maybe ...
Weighed against an invasion of Gaza is Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s upcoming peace conference with Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas under US auspices. While Olmert may want calm, he is also under pressure from right-wing coalition partners to hit Hamas hard.

“The present situation will not last,” Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon, a close Olmert confidant, told Reuters when asked during an interview about a possible Gaza invasion. ”I prefer that we use sanctions. I believe that the implementation of sanctions will be effective. But we have our doubts about it,” he said, but added: “If they (Hamas) stop sending rockets over, our need for the weapons of sanctions, or other weapons, will not be an issue.”
Posted by: Steve White 2007-10-31
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=204603