Israel says Gaza ground operation aims to restore calm, not oust Hamas
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3181746/posts
Thousands of Israeli soldiers backed by tanks poured into the Gaza Strip on Thursday night, escalating a 10-day military operation to try to destroy Hamas’s weapons arsenal, rocket firing abilities and tunnels used to send terrorists from the Palestinian territory into Israel.
The goal of the ground operation was to restore security for Israel’s citizens by stopping Hamas attacks, Israeli diplomatic sources said, and not to reconquer Gaza and oust Hamas.
The high-stakes move was compelled by Israel’s growing exasperation over unrelenting rocket fire and followed the collapse of Egyptian-led efforts to broker a cease-fire. It also came after a failed attempt by 13 terrorists to infiltrate Israel earlier Thursday through a tunnel under the Gaza-Israel border near Kibbutz Sufa, only to be stopped by an Israeli strike at the mouth of the tunnel.
Israel’s security cabinet approved the ground offensive in principle on Tuesday, after Hamas rejected an Egyptian ceasefire proposal. The resort to ground forces received unanimous approval; centrist Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said she did not take the decision “lightly,” but had “no doubt” that it was necessary.
Egypt Blames Hamas for Escalation in Gaza
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3182291/posts
As Israel launched a ground operation in Gaza on Thursday, Egypt blamed Hamas - but also Israel - for the latest escalation and for the deaths of civilians.
According to Kol Yisrael radio, the Egyptian government said it was placing the responsibility on Hamas for “the possible deaths of Palestinian civilians”, citing Hamas’s refusal to accept Egypt’s proposal for a ceasefire.
The report quoted Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, as having said that had Hamas accepted the ceasefire proposal, it would have saved the lives of at least 40 Gazans who were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Shoukry further said that Hamas was cooperating with Qatar and Turkey to harm Egypt’s status in the region.
In a statement quoted by the AFP news agency, however, Egypt’s foreign ministry also denounced Israel’s “escalation” in Gaza and again demanded both sides accept a Cairo proposed truce.
“Egypt condemns the Israeli escalation in Gaza and calls for self-control as its air strikes and ground operation only aggravate the situation and do not help preserve Israel’s security,” the foreign ministry said.
It said both Israel and Hamas must “immediately and unconditionally accept the Egyptian (ceasefire) proposal as it offers protection to the Palestinian people. It is the only way to halt the aggression and preserve the blood of our brotherly Palestinian people.”
Shoukry’s comments on Hamas echo those made earlier by Egypt’s former Foreign Minister, Mohammed Al-Arabi, who said that Hamas was not serious about a ceasefire – and that the terror group was deliberately trying to embarrass Egypt.
Speaking in an interview in an Egyptian newspaper, Al-Arabi blamed Hamas for not only failing to come to a ceasefire, but for “shedding the blood of innocent Palestinians” by continuing to attack Israel.
Israel has been working closely with Egypt on this situation with Hamas, but Turkey is trying to “blow apart” that working relationship!
Erdogan Slams Egypt’s Sisi as ‘Illegitimate Tyrant’ [Israel and Hamas]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3182272/posts
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday slammed Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as an “illegitimate tyrant” and said Cairo could not be relied upon to negotiate a truce with Israel.
“Is Sisi a party (to a ceasefire)? Sisi is a tyrant himself,” Erdogan was quoted by the AFP news agency as having told reporters.
“He is not different from the others,” he said, adding that it was Egypt’s current rulers who were blocking humanitarian aid channels to Gaza.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri responded and said Erdogan’s comments were “unacceptable”.
“They have no link with the events in Gaza and do not help in the protection of the people of Gaza,” Shoukri said at a news conference in Cairo with his Italian counterpart Federica Mogherini.
Erdogan should rather push all the concerned parties for a ceasefire in Gaza, said Shoukri.
Erdogan, who portrays himself as the global Muslim leader who speaks up for Palestinian Arab rights, said supporting an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire would mean legitimizing the administration in Egypt.
“Egypt is not a party ... They are trying to legitimize (the Sisi administration) in Egypt. It is not a legitimate administration. It is illegitimate,” he said, lashing out at Israeli attempts to exclude Hamas.
“Hamas is a party there,” declared Erdogan.
Egyptians Hoping Israel Will Destroy Hamas
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3181177/posts
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi has thus far turned down appeals from Palestinians and other Arabs to work toward achieving a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Palestinian Authority [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas telephoned Sisi and urged him to intervene to achieve an “immediate ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. Abbas later admitted that his appeal to Sisi and (other Arab leaders) had fallen on deaf ears.
Sisi’s decision not to intervene in the current crisis did not come as a surprise. In fact, Sisi and many Egyptians seem to be delighted that Hamas is being badly hurt.
Some Egyptians are even openly expressing hope that Israel will completely destroy Hamas, which they regard as the “armed branch of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organization.”
Sisi’s Egypt has not forgiven Hamas for its alliance with Muslim Brotherhood and its involvement in terrorist attacks against Egyptian civilians and soldiers over the past year.
The Egyptians today understand that Hamas and other radical Islamist groups pose a serious threat to their national security. That is why the Egyptian authorities have, over the past year, been taking tough security measures not only against Hamas, but also the entire population of the Gaza Strip.
Here’s a running account of news reports related to these recent events with Israel and Hamas. If you want to catch up on the news accounts ... they are here ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/stisraelhamas/index
It’s listed from newest to oldest, so go to the bottom to start.
Coalition governments really suck.
Yahoo’s a friggen GENIUS here. He knew that Hamas wanted a LOT MORE than a cease fire - they wanted TROPHIES, like hundreds of terrorists released, opening of border crossings, etc.
Yahoo also knew that Egypt would tell them to get lost, and simply present a plan for a “temporary cease fire”, which Hamas would reject - and they did. Israel gets their pretext with the tunnels, and now they get to finish the job.
Who can take this leftist garbage from Haaretz seriously?
From all I've read this seems to be a war (or whatever) that Netanyahu didn't want and didn't plan on.
Netanyahu was (rightfully) angry with the unity pact with Hamas and Abbas...and the reaction to it from the Western governments.
I'm of the opinion that Netanyahu saw an opportunity to do damage to Hamas "using" the kidnapping of the three teenagers as "cover". All was going his way until the search went a little over the top with the bulldozing of houses, roundups and arrests and the shooting deaths of six Palestinian teenagers.
I also think this was the trigger for Hamas firing rockets into Israel. There was "calm" for two years, and I don't think Hamas woke up one morning and decided to piss off the giant on its border.
Initially Netanyahu called for restraint against Hamas and was applauded for his calm leadership by Western governments.
Then Lieberman bolted the coalition because Netanyahu wasn't taking on Hamas. This move left Likud with a one seat majority and set the stage for a possible call for early elections.
If was 24 hours after this move putting Netanyahu's coalition and his position at real political risk that Netanyahu order the IDF to "take the gloves off" and sought to "protect the Israeli people".
Netanyahu lost political control and now has a war he didn't want and will do nothing in the long term except stroke the flames of rage on both sides.