| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel Preparing to Retake Gaza Strip |
| 2006-04-21 |
| In a growing barrage of Israeli pressure against Hamas, a senior military commander said Israel is actively preparing to reoccupy the Gaza Strip and a powerful lawmaker said the entire Palestinian Cabinet could be targeted for assassination after the appointment of a wanted militant to head a new security force. Officials said there were no immediate plans to strike at the Hamas-led government. But the comments reflected rising Israeli impatience with the Islamic militant group, which has refused to renounce violence, defended a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv this week and failed to halt militant rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. "If the price we have to pay becomes unreasonable as a result of increased attacks, then we shall have to take all steps, including occupying the Gaza Strip," Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, head of Israel's southern command, told the Maariv daily. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Turkey's state-run news agency Friday that reoccupation of the Gaza Strip would be a "deadly mistake." Israel withdrew from Gaza last summer, ending 38 years of military occupation. Since the pullout, militants have fired rockets into southern Israel on a nearly daily basis. Tensions were further heightened on Thursday when Hamas said it was forming a new security force commanded by Jamal Abu Samhadana, who heads a group responsible for many of the rocket attacks and is a suspect in a deadly attack on an American convoy. Israeli lawmaker Danny Yatom, a retired head of the Mossad spy agency, said that not only Samhadana but the entire Hamas Cabinet is now a legitimate target for assassination. "I understand that our sights are also trained on Hamas ministers, not only on the police chief," Yatom told Israel Radio. "Nobody who deals with terror can have immunity by any means, even if he holds a ministerial portfolio in the Hamas government." Yatom, a member of the center-left Labor Party, did not name any particular minister as a potential target. During five years of fighting, Israel has killed dozens of militants in "targeted killings." Samhadana is high on Israel's wanted list and has been the target of at least one attempted Israeli assassination. "We have old scores to settle with this murderer," Israeli Cabinet minister Zeev Boim told Israel Radio. "He has no immunity and we will have to settle this score sooner or later." Samhadana's group, the Popular Resistance Committees, has launched dozens of homemade rockets at Israel in recent weeks. It also is suspected of involvement in the October 2003 bombing in Gaza of a U.S. Embassy convoy, which killed three American security guards. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the formation of the new Palestinian police force showed "the true nature and the true tactics of this particular Hamas-led government." The United States will still hold the Palestinian Authority responsible for stopping terror attacks, he said. Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, has largely observed a cease-fire with Israel since February 2005. But since taking office last month, the Hamas leadership has said attacks carried out by other groups, including Monday's suicide bombing that killed nine, are justified. Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for all the violence, though defense officials are still weighing whether to begin attacking Hamas targets directly. Galant, the Israeli commander, said patience is wearing thin with Hamas. He said the army is preparing for a range of responses to the rocket fire. "It could be anything from a partial occupation of the Gaza Strip to a full occupation," he told Maariv, adding that the plans have been approved by senior officials, including Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz. Israel has responded to the rocket attacks with airstrikes and artillery fire on suspected launch sites. Israeli security officials concede it is very difficult to halt the primitive weapons, which are airborne for just 15 to 20 seconds and are hard to detect. Israel already has made two brief incursions into Gaza in recent days to search for explosives. But defense officials said the odds of a large-scale operation or full occupation are slim because of financial and political constraints. "I wouldn't want to reach that situation, but if it's forced upon us we have a plan to occupy the strip," Galant said. "We are in advanced stages of preparing forces for readiness. There is a practical plan and there are forces which are designated for specific operations and are training for them." Israel is reluctant to go back into Gaza after spending hundreds of millions of dollars to withdraw and overcoming staunch internal political opposition. In addition, Israel is pleased with the international pressure on Hamas and fears military action could jeopardize that. Galant's threat of a reoccupation could in part be aimed at an Israeli public outraged over the rocket fire. It could also be meant to put pressure on Hamas to halt the attacks. Hamas defeated the long-dominant Fatah Party in January legislative elections, and its new Cabinet was sworn into office late last month. The appointment of Samhadana was the latest step in a growing power struggle between Hamas and Abbas, a moderate who leads the Fatah party. Soon after the new Cabinet was sworn in last month, Abbas appointed a longtime ally to head three security services that were supposed to fall under Hamas command. Abbas controls several other security services directly. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #20 Just nuke the bastards! |
| Posted by: RJB in JC MO 2006-04-21 18:42 |
| #19 Have occasional rolling blackouts in Gaza during the height of the summer. Maybe the occasional disruption in the water supply, too. Nothing too obvious, make it seem like the PA hasn't been doing their maintenance (if it's possible to do so). |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2006-04-21 18:02 |
| #18 Israel is under no restraintd otehr than it's own. That's ever been the real restraint. I can't remember the term... PerlShine? Clean as snow? Seriously it's an IDF doctrine. LH? |
| Posted by: 6 2006-04-21 17:21 |
| #17 3dc that is the "3 Gorges Scam" is just happen to be a dam. As far as I am concerned at this point is Israel is under no restraintd otehr than it's own. It may do as it pleases when it pleases. My vote is to make all allenist Paleo's deportees on a permanate basis. Put them on one way bus ride to the border with Syria and Egypt. |
| Posted by: SPoD 2006-04-21 15:49 |
| #16 No different then if China causes trouble... because of the budget cuts due to all the trouble you've sent our way we haven't had to money to do normal servicing on our Rods From God platform 5 that's sitting there in orbit above the 3 Gorges Dam. It would be a real shame if those latches were to fail....... |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-04-21 15:17 |
| #15 November will be a good time for all and 2008 will be even sweeter! |
| Posted by: wishful thinking 2006-04-21 14:03 |
| #14 Won't happen. till 2 hours after we hit Iran. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-21 13:23 |
| #13 It would be enough to clear everything for 20km back from the border on the Gaza side. If the rockets get better than clear further back. Eventually they'll get the idea. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2006-04-21 13:13 |
| #12 In the meantime - rumor has the water's poisoned, so, precious Paleos, don't drink it. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-04-21 13:12 |
| #11 Ouch, 3dc! :-D |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-04-21 12:42 |
| #10 The world need to put Hamas on notice that it considers any further attacks on Israel by its forces as a formal declaration of war between Israel and Palestine. And Israel is free to let slip the dogs of war. Won't happen. But sure is nice to dream. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2006-04-21 12:41 |
| #9 Oh man ... its like we turned off the water fro a day to scare them ... but .. well its an old valve and it broke in the off position.... Its under a lot of cement and the company that made it is out of business... ah.. it going to be a custom job to restore the water.... 2 1/2 weeks at least.... and we have to do it by union rules... you know how the unions are in Israel.... |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-04-21 12:29 |
| #8 JUST TURN OFF THE DAMN WATER! GAME OVER! |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-04-21 12:25 |
| #7 They were not given that land to use it as a launching pad. |
| Posted by: newc 2006-04-21 12:19 |
| #6 Trail of tears, baby. Send 'em packing to Syria, Jordan, or anyone else who'll take 'em. |
| Posted by: BH 2006-04-21 12:19 |
| #5 I think the reason this is being discussed publicly is a run up the flagpole thing. I dont think they want to reoccupy Gaza, or even kill ALL the Hamas ministers. But you mkae this public, and if the reaction isnt too big, than youve got permission to, say, kill ONE Hamas minister. Pour encourager les autres. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2006-04-21 12:15 |
| #4 "targeted killings." What's with the scare quotes? The term is precisely what they are. Assassination (their preferred term, I assume) doesn't apply since they were [love that past tense!] active leaders of a group that is in a declared state of war against Israel. |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2006-04-21 12:15 |
| #3 DV is correct! Line up the 155mm guns, bring in trucks of ammo, make rubble and then bounce the rubble. Repeat until white flags are shown (and honored). |
| Posted by: Brett 2006-04-21 12:07 |
| #2 Yeah, before re-occuping it, why not try to respond with *overhelming force* to theses continouus attacks? I'm sure counter-battery wise the israeli are on top of the game. And if the paleos start using timers or firing from crowded civilian areas, I'm sure artillery and airforce can be used other ways to make them feel the sting whenever they light one (destruction of assets, eliminations,...). And if it's not possible, cut electricity as long as needed (hard to manufacture rockets without the jooos providing the power), and water/sanitation for shorter period of time, just to remind theses aggressive, double-dealing, devious parasites who's civilized and industrialized, and who's a primitive living on welfare from the infidels. That's insane. The israeli have the means to smother theses clowns, but won't go down to it because of decency/gradualism/foreign pressure, while the paleos are prevented from genociding the jews only by the fact they're absolute losers (but they sure got the will and intent). I'm sorry, but Staline would have solved the paleo issue in one week top, and none of the usual suspects in the West/un would have said a word about it. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-04-21 11:55 |
| #1 Just do a rolling artillery barrage of the Gaza Strip. Nothing left standing. Then, napalm what is left. If anything crawls out of a hole, napalm it too. It is obvious that nothing will work until one side or the other is completely destroyed. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-04-21 11:24 |