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As Rockets Fly, New Conditions Shape Fight in Gaza
Cross-border fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in Gaza continued for a fourth day on Monday, with the Palestinian death toll rising from Israeli airstrikes and the militants rockets reaching farther into Israel.Yet there was no sign that either Israel or Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, wanted an all-out confrontation. Early Tuesday, news reports citing unnamed Egyptian officials said that Egypt had mediated a cease-fire. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian officials confirmed the reports, issued by The Associated Press and Reuters. The prospects of an imminent showdown, like the one that led to Israels three-week offensive in the winter of 2008-9, seemed unlikely. Some of the old rules of the conflict have changed since then, and new domestic and regional factors have emerged. For Israel, the success of its recently deployed Iron Dome antirocket missile system has had an impact. Since the hostilities began on Friday, the missile batteries have managed to intercept 54 of the nearly 70 Palestinian rockets that were aimed at the major cities of the south, the Israeli military said. The prevention of mass casualties and damage has reduced pressure on the countrys leaders to embark on a major military operation in Gaza and given them more time to weigh their options, according to Israeli officials and experts. There is a serious strategic change here, Dan Meridor, the minister of intelligence and atomic energy, told Israel Radio on Monday. Years ago, it was not simple to incorporate into Israeli military doctrine the great importance of defense. The regional changes of the past year are also playing a role in the calculations of both Israel and the Islamic groups. Posted by: tipper 2012-03-13 |
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