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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel threatens 'steps' to curb rocket fire |
| 2007-04-30 |
| Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned Sunday that Israel would be forced to act if Palestinian militants continue to fire rockets, as Egypt suspended negotiations on a prisoner swap in an attempt to salvage a truce between the two sides. Violence at the Israel-Gaza frontier has increased in recent days since militants of the ruling Hamas faction declared a five-month cease-fire to be over last week after Israel killed nine Palestinians in clashes in the occupied West Bank. On Sunday, soldiers killed three Hamas members in a clash near the Gaza Strip border fence and Palestinians fired one rocket at Israel. After consulting with top security officials during the week, Olmert said he decided against a large offensive in Gaza, giving one last chance to preserve the truce. "We are not interested in an escalation but will by no means refrain from taking the necessary steps to stop those who try to harm Israeli residents," Olmert told reporters before a Cabinet meeting Sunday. Major-General Burhan Hammad, an Egyptian officer shuttling between Gaza and Israel in a bid to stop the violence, said the rocket fire and Israel's shootings have "led to a retreat" in efforts to finalize an anticipated prisoner swap. "The issue of the cease-fire made us focus on that instead ... and so we halted discussions (on a prisoner swap) because it is not possible to do both at once," Hammad said. Hammad said the Egyptian security delegation would not restart negotiations on a swap until all Palestinian factions abided by the truce. "We haven't set up another meeting yet, because there's still not a cease-fire," he said. "Let's stop rockets first." Hammad told reporters he was "exerting intensive efforts to prevent Israel from carrying out a violent reaction that would severely harm Gaza Strip." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Actually, now that Udi needs to improve his approval ratings, we may --- finally --- see something. And since he remembers Lebanon, he may let military professionals (which Halutz the fly boy wasn't, IMHO. But Gabi Ashkenazi is) to plan it. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-04-30 06:32 |
| #1 YNETNEWS > IDF Officers claim Israel created Hizbullah + 2006 Lebanon War BY ITS MANY YEARS OF INACTION. HAARETZ > OLMERT DENIES IRAN ATTACK COMMENTS. Denies alleged comments inferring that 10-day, 1000-missle strike on high-value selected targets will push back Iran's nuke ambitions-schemes. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-04-30 03:01 |