Israelis looking for knockout punch against Hamas
Contrast that determination with the bluster of Hamas leaders who are now threatening to kill Jewish children around the world. This from the same guys who have deliberately put their own children in harms way so they can be used as props for the death cult when they are killed or injured. It is just further proof of the war crimes of Hamas who has the most immoral war strategy imaginable.Israeli intelligence and military officials are increasingly pushing for the assault on Gaza to continue until it assures the eventual downfall of Hamas amid assertions that the 10 days of military bombardment have crippled the Islamist party's ability to govern.
As the onslaught progresses, officials are more confident of "changing the equation" in Gaza and are predicting the collapse of the Hamas administration.
Last night, Israeli forces bombed the centre of Gaza, and there were reports of intense clashes with Hamas fighters on the edge of the city. But the fighting and the occupation of parts of the north and centre of the Gaza Strip did not stop Hamas from firing more than 40 rockets into Israel.
The death toll from 10 days of fighting has risen above 550. Those killed yesterday included 13 members of the same family killed in their house by Israeli tank fire east of Gaza city.
The rising number of civilian deaths is helping to drive growing diplomatic pressure for an end to the killing. The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, on a visit to Jerusalem and Ramallah, yesterday called on Israel to stop the violence and demanded an immediate ceasefire by both sides. There was a similar call from an EU delegation in Israel.
But they were rebuffed by Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, who said: "When Israel is being targeted, Israel is going to retaliate. Israel is going to give an answer to it because this is an ongoing, long battle, war, against terror."
Livni's determination reflects a growing confidence in the upper echelons of the Israeli establishment that the assault will fatally damage the foundations of Hamas's control and, in time, drive it from power. Intelligence and military officials have told the cabinet that "not much" remains of the Hamas administration in Gaza and that its ability to take control again has been undermined by the destruction of a large part of the physical infrastructure of administration, including the parliament building and many government offices.
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The Independent has more on the complex tunnel system that Hamas has been digging since Israel withdrew from Gaza.
I too find irony in Hamas talking about their children being killed and yet using these children to hide amongst. Using women and children for cover has long been considered a long accepted tactic by "Johnny Jihad".
ReplyDeleteWhen I served in the Middle East, I was shot by a 12 year old. The person that gave him that rifle made that boy an armed combatant. Every one is somebody's child.