Ceasefire negotiations bring Gaza ground operation closer than ever [Israel and Hamas]

YNet News ^ | Thursday, July, 17, 2014 | Ron Ben-Yishai

[Star Traveler]

Israel's determination to demilitarize Gaza and Hamas' desire to shed Israeli blood could well mean IDF boots on the ground before calm is restored.

Negotiations for a ceasefire moved into a serious stage on Wednesday night, but - absurdly – an IDF ground operation in Gaza seems closer than ever, and is apparently inevitable.

This is down to the fact that Hamas is now trying with all its might, or rather last of its strength, to gain some kind of operational achievement, one that, if realized, could lead to the deaths of Israeli civilians and soldiers. On Wednesday night, the IDF thwarted a massive infiltration attempt through a tunnel dug in Gaza and emerging near Kibbutz Sufa.

This attempted infiltration was another effort by Hamas to rehabilitate its poor operational image and boost its bargaining power during the negotiations on a ceasefire. The relatively large group of terrorists entered through the tunnel that led under the fence close to Sufa, and were apparently intending a major attack with a high death toll and the abduction of soldiers and civilians. Had this plan succeeded, it would have drastically altered the face of this war.

[Star Traveler]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows how to work inside Israel, with Egypt, with the world at large, and go through the necessary moves in order to degrade and destroy the capabilities of Hamas, while also garnering world support on Israel’s behalf.

I’ve never seen world support so strong as it is in this current situation, and that’s because Israel has a great leader, such as Netanyahu.

[ScottinVA]

I really hope the Israelis go in in earnest this time and — by ANY AND ALL necessary means — de-louse the whole of Gaza.