This doesn't come even close to passing the smell test. Are we to imply from this that Israel took on this operation with the expectation that the wildly emotional (crazy) Palestinian population would not protest???
I suspect that American pressure stopped this from being brought to a conclusion (good cop, bad cop again). Politicians and military leaders, planning operations which will commence [at least relatively] soon do not want any "wild cards" that might change the conditions of the "set-piece" battle which they have planned.
Thus, their plans are based on the assumption of [at least] relative calm everywhere else in the vicinity prior to launch date.
And when they have a plan, everything else becomes subjugated to it.
I think a clear message is being sent here.
After three days of demolitions, the only building that remains largely untouched is the building in which Arafat is holed up.
This buiding could be leveled just as easily as the others. With him inside.
If Israel wants Arafat dead, anywhere, at any time, it would be accomplished before I sit down for supper tonight.