No cease fire in Gaza that does not allow Israel to complete the destruction of Hamas tunnels

Haaretz:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel was determined, regardless of ceasefire efforts, to complete the destruction of tunnels that Palestinian militants have built under the Gaza-Israel border.

"We are determined to complete this mission with or without a cease-fire," Netanyahu said in public remarks at the start of a cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv. "I won't agree to any proposal that will not enable the Israeli military to complete this important task for the sake of Israel's security."

"Hamas' capabilities would have enabled it to abduct and murder civilians and IDF soldiers while simultaneously attacking from the tunnels penetrating our territory," Netanyahu said. "We are destroying that capability now. There are no 100 percent guarantees, just as the Iron Dome does not give a complete response, but the IDF's operations in the field are impressive and they are continuing at full force."

"We have so far neutralized dozens of terror tunnels and we are determined to complete this task. Therefore, I will not agree to any cease-fire that does not enable the IDF to complete this very important task. Hamas has been hit hard by both the IDF and the Shin, who are closely coordinated. We have delivered harsh blows to thousands of terror targets, rockets depots, manufacturing sites, and launching sites, and hundreds of terrorists have been killed. These achievements and the operation to neutralize the tunnels are only the first step in demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. The United States and the European Union have accepted our stance, and though it was difficult to achieve, we have done so, through hard work."
...
The government's goals are more modest than I would have expected under the circumstances.  While some worry about what would come next if Hamas was destroyed, I think each is a better place without the Muslim Brotherhood which was similar to Hamas.  Destruction of Hamas would give the Palestinian Authority another opportunity to lead if it has the will.  I just don't buy the theory that all alternatives to Hamas are worse.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Should Republicans go ahead and add Supreme Court Justices to head off Democrats

29 % of companies say they are unlikely to keep insurance after Obamacare

Is the F-35 obsolete?