Will Israel End The Gaza War TOO EARLY?

Pajama's Media/Yidwithlid ^ | 1/16/09 | Yidwithlid

[Shellybenoit]

This morning, Hamas leader in hiding Khaled Mashaal rejected Israel's conditions for a Gaza cease-fire and demanded an immediate opening of the territory's borders, taking a tough line Friday as he asked Arab countries to back him by cutting off any ties with Israel. The Hamas government in hiding is arguing with the Hamas government in Gaza whether they have been defeated.

Mashaal was attending a conference of Arab leaders taking place in Quatar. The summit was boycotted by some of the more "moderate" Arab countries Egypt & Saudi Arabia. It looks as if the gap between the moderate and hard liners in the Muslim world is growing.

In Israel there is a split between the foreign ministry who wants a unilateral withdrawal, the Defense Ministry who wants a unilateral cease fire to allow humanitarian needs, and the Prime Minister who wants to keep the pressure on until Hamas gives in to Israel's demands.

All this is being played under the pressure of most of the world community calling for a cease fire, the start of a pro-Arab Obama administration in four days, and the fact that Israel is running out of targets. The Jewish State is facing the position of having met the objectives of this stage of the operation. From here on out its either ramp up and go into Gaza City or a holding pattern.

The Gaza War is at a cross-roads. If Israel goes into a holding Pattern will it be able to prevent a rearming of Hamas? Will Hamas be able to claim a moral victory the way Hezbolla did with the Lebanon War? What about Giliad Shalit the Soldier Kidnapped by Hamas four years ago, the government hasn't mentioned him publicly in their demands? In short will Israel end the Gaza War TOO EARLY?

[Badeye]

Given the extended history, if the Israeli’s leave any Hamas member alive...the answer is YES.

[OB1kNOb]

Let’s hope not. They need to annihilate Hamas.

[MathDoc]

Gaza is about 25 miles long (north-south) and 4 miles wide. I’d like to see Israel bulldoze the half of Gaza near the Israeli border to leave no shelter at all within two miles of Israel. There should be no buildings, no trees, no farms, no roads, no tunnels, no rubble that has not been leveled with the surrounding dirt, nothing. If the Israeli Army has to come back, the flattened strip should be 3 miles, leaving only one mile by the Mediterranean. It’s time for the terrorists to give up some land for peace, whether or not they are willing.

[ANGGAPO]

I think you are right, this could be their last chance to be free from Hamas.

[Karliner]

Please no more land for peace deals...please no more “israel =nazis” posters and please no more hamas, ever agian.

[coon2000]

Agreed, Hamas must be totally destroyed. If they don't destroy them they will be doing this again in a few years and without a strong friend in the United States.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Hamas delenda est.

[coon2000]

Where is our Cato today on Hamas?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Gazan seed corn.

[Girlene]

Well, until some cease-fire actually takes place in Gaza, Israel is still giving Hamas plenty of grief. From the Jerusalem Post, IDF kills at least 20 Hamas gunmen

Despite predictions of an impending Gaza ceasefire, fighting continued in the Strip on Friday, the 21st day of Operation Cast Lead. ....

....The IAF had bombed some 40 targets overnight, including a Gaza City mosque in which weapons were stored and under which a tunnel had been dug.

In addition, the air force struck six terror cells - including one in the process of firing mortar shells at Israel [hahahahahaha]- three arms storehouses, two Hamas posts, four tunnels, rocket launching pads and the home of a Hamas operative. ....