As Sunday, day 16 of the Hamas-Israel war for Gaza, came to a close, so may have the hopes of each side of achieving some lasting, peaceful resolution.
CNN said Israel may be close to “the end of the operation” because of a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said Sunday.
Related:
Day 17: Iran warns Hamas not to accept truce proposal; Israel “close” to achieving goals
“The decision of the U.N. Security Council doesn’t leave us much leeway,” Vilnai told Israel Radio. “It would seem then, I’m guessing, that we are close to the end of the ground operation and the end of the operation altogether.”
Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzip Livni said Sunday that Israel’s war with Hamas is not a one-time conflict that will end with an agreement.
“We are in midst of a struggle against terrorism, and it is not a one-time conflict. This is not a conflict that will end with an agreement,” she said.
Many on the scene had the impression that the active fighting was coming toward a close.
Israel’s military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told the Israeli Cabinet Sunday that the group’s ability to fight has been damaged by the devastating assault Israel launched Dec. 27. He says Hamas is suffering from ammunition shortages and has been hard hit by the deaths of senior militants.
But Yadlin says the group “is not expected to raise a white flag.”
Shin Bet security service chief Yuval Diskin told the Cabinet that many Gazans are furious with Hamas for “bringing a disaster on Gaza.”
Israel says Hamas is “exhaused and nearly out of ammunition.” But across the globe, pro-Hamas and anti-Israel parades and events continue….
Related:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meas
t/01/11/israel.gaza/index.html
January 11, 2009 at 8:55 pm |
I am still hearing that Hamas is still firing rockets into the south of Israel. If the IDF has done its job on its border with Gaza,Hamas couldn’t have firing those rockets. They are very short range rockets, about 6 miles in range, and by now the IDF is further into Gaza. I personaly won’t be surprise that some members of the IDF are launching those rockets against their own people, to further escalate the conflict, or they left some members of Hamas behind their lines. Either way I see it very remote that Hamas can still launch any rockets from Gaza into south of Israel. Never take it for granted that the Israeli government is one of God’s chosen people.
January 11, 2009 at 10:23 pm |
Fattal, Hamas can fire rockets up to 40km or 25mi, not 6 miles. Nice conspiracy theory though, too bad it is fiction.