The last 24 hours:
The ground operation initiated by special units of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) clearly marked the second phase in the war against Hamas. The formal conflict was declared nine days ago by the Israeli government according to a report in BBC News.
Early Saturday evening, the IDF entered the Gaza territory with three main lines of active brigades. The forces made their way to three different locations that include: Beit-Lehia, Beit Hannon and North Gaza. The first two are refugee camps housing Hamas armed militants (known as the Eiz Adin Al-Qassam and Al Eqza brigades). Another Israeli force made its way into North Gaza with the objective to divide the main population of Gaza creating a separation between people who live in the central city and those in refugee camps. These camps are known to be the main area where Hamas militants have successfully launched Grad missiles and Qassam rockets into Israel in the past. Israeli forces entered from the Erez junction, through one of the main gates of the Gaza-Israeli border and the forces reached deep into the former Netzarim settlement, which is situated along the coast.
The operation’s goals:
The Israeli forces have been directed by Israel’s Ministry of Defense to carry out ground operations and enter Gaza in order to achieve the following:
- Stop and eliminate the ability of Hamas to fire rockets into Israel.
- Weaken Hamas’ infrastructure and all of its official governmental institutions.
- Hunt top Hamas officials and bring them to prisons in Israel.
From the onset of battle a strong point was made by the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. Clearly stating that Israel has no intention to stay in Gaza, rule over its population, or re-occupy its territories. We have been there, done that and are fed-up with it.
The Israeli “Wish list”
- Removal of Hamas leadership from the government in Gaza.
- Reestablish a moderate government in Gaza with Abu Mazen (The Palestinian president) and the Fatah party empowered to take hold of the situation.
- Find and release the Israeli solider Gilad Shalit, taken as a war prisoner in May 2006.
According to Israeli officials, once major areas of conflict are cleared, Israel would provide humanitarian support to Gaza residents who did not support Hamas. This in addition to the trucks filled with aid and food supplies that have already entered central Gaza city.
How can Israel accomplish its goals?
Despite Israel’s stated intention to vacate Gaza once conflict has subsided, the IDF will require an extended period of time to reach its goals in Gaza. When military engagements occur deep in urban areas movement is slow and success requires patience. Israeli ground troops hope to not only clear the area from militants but also to secure the area from being re-occupied by armed civilians in Gaza. The residents in many neighborhoods are being torn apart; some may refuse to host Hamas militants in their homes because of the foreseen dangers. Others are frightened by the incredibly aggressive presence of Israeli forces in their houses as they search for Hamas militants. In such situations a strategic cooperation of several units must come into play. Patience is required not only when dealing with Gaza residents but also when dealing with residents in Sederot, Ashkelon and other Israeli villages in the South who still suffer from missiles and rockets assaults.
Things both Israel and the international community must avoid:
First, Israel must not agree to a cease-fire or to any negotiation with Hamas as that only would re-legitimize the Hamas party. Secondly, moderate Arab countries would do well to follow Egypt’s support and levelheaded grasp of the situation. Since the conflict started, Egypt has proven itself a trusted ally in its support of Israel (even though it condemns the current ground operation). Needless to say, Egypt physically bordered with Gaza, has suffered deeply from the Palestinian instability in governance of its own territories. Lastly, the international community (European Nations specifically) should actively support the UN resolution to provide international forces to Gaza. UN forces who not only monitor the situation but also actively ignore Hamas to work solely with more moderate Palestinian political parties to ensure a successful re-establishment of the selected government.
Worst case scenario:
Israel has called upon a massive reserve of soldier brigades in a proactive effort to safeguard its borders. The principal area of instability would occur along the Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah is already well established. Other pro-Palestinian militant organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood, have a presence in South Lebanon and are only waiting for approval from Sheik Nasarallah, the head of Hezbollah. It should be noted that some Lebanese parties are currently launching massive demonstrations in central Lebanon, supporting Hamas’ conflict with Israel. With such fervor increasing among the populace, Nasarallah may be more than willing to support other militants groups with rockets and artillery. Atrocity in the Northern part of Israel would be just a matter of time.
Further issues of contention and danger rests with Syria and Iran. Both of which are re-active and pro-active cogs in this new conflict. If Syria were to unleash its Hezbollah forces, it would soon see an Israeli Air Force presence in its sky’s. Iran’s pro-active role would most likely revolve around supplying artillery, money, and moral support (Iran admitted that hosts a training-camp for Hamas militants) to both Hezbollah and Hamas, rendering Iran combatants by proxy. There is also a risk of Iran firing Shihab rockets, a new missile, from Iran into Israel which would result in an explosive conflict that would involve the international community. There is also chance that all of Iran’s long-hand support to Israel’s enemies would finally give the Israeli Prime Minster and his security consuls a legitimate reason to attack Iran. No one would like to see that.
In the meantime:
Moving into Gaza has proven to be a surgically precise and targeted operation with few losses sustained by the innocent inhabitants of Gaza. Residents in some areas now have the courage to express opposition to Hamas while voicing support for Fatah to re-establish their former institutions in Gaza. In addition, while Israel is generally expected to benefit from a reduction in rocket attacks, that has yet to be the case. The Israeli Internal Secret Services and Information Institute officials have said it is mainly because Hamas propaganda encouraging its own militants by presenting an inaccurate picture where Hamas remains in full power. Propaganda allows Hamas leadership to continually recruit as many soldiers as they can in order to sustain the fight. In the next few days, however, a weakening Hamas resistance is expected according to forecasts from Israeli Defense officials. A weakening public opinion, reducing support for Hamas is also expected. Until these forecasts come to fruition the reality in Gaza, as sad as it is, will not change.
30 Comments
I am very surprised it took Israel so long to react to this situation. Let’s be honest here. When Hamas violently overthrew the Fatah Party in Gaza, was there any doubt in anyone’s mind that they would not use this territory to launch attacks on Israel?
Hamas is not a political party, they are a group of stinking terrorists who’s goal is the destruction of Israel.
Oren, any word on how the Israeli’s will treat residents of Gaza who were perhaps sympathetic to the Hamas cause due to their fear of Hamas?
well, its tough question; however, I assume Israel has no intention to punish any civilians at this point. Public opinion could be shifted again to raise support for moderate forces such as Fatah and that’s what important. Supersingly, all of Israel Kennest major parties representatives backed up the governement with the decision to go into Gaza in search for Hamas militants. This emphasize the Israeli security cabinat role of not to get involve with interim Palestenian politics or governance.
Hamas is a legitimate resistance movement that is growing in popularity due to its “true” loyalty to the Palestinians. Fatah, has been bought buy the Zionist to implement their agenda on the occupied terretories. Fatah corrupt leaders are merly an extension of the Israeli oppression and thats why the Israelis are more tolerant of Fateh. If the recent Zionist terrorist war on Gaza was for the sake of stopping Hamas. Then why are there still children being killed in the Westbank, which is void of any Hamas fighters? Simply because Israel is only using Hamas as an “excuse” to their evil murders of the innocent. The reckless killings of the innocent is in their nature. The illegal settlements and the 3-year-old siege on Gaza was the “cause” of firing the Hamsans rockets. Hamas is a natural reaction to a never ending oppression of the Palestinian people who have been lacking the basic “God-guaranteed” rights of living. The illegal settlements on Palestinian land and the violation of UN resolutions are “facts” the Israelis are not willing to negotiate. Long live Gaza and ALL the honorable fighters who will teach the world how to cure the spread of “cancer”. Even if Israel whipes out ALL of the Arab enemies, they will keep on expanding their illegal settlements until they occupy the entire world.
Israel is collectively punishing the residents of Gaza and is not discriminating between Hamas and civilians. Their actions amount to war crimes, they are also not allowing enough aid to poor gazans who are in desperate need of it. If the west and the US in particular really believed in peace and wanted to prevent the loss of innocent life they would call on Israel to stop this outrageous genocide.
My call to Israel is to kill Al-Zahar, the terrorist Leader of Hamas because he is calling for more bloodshed with continued rocket attacks on Israeli civilians knowing all too well that the IDF will strike back with over welming force, and actively protect Palistinian civilians, and give them badly needed food, water, and medical supplies.
Al-Zahar, and other radical Muslim leaders of Hezbula, and Iran, and Syria should be punished by the Arab nations for thier inciting violence through out the region, and the world. Conquer, and divide was a briliant strategy for Israel, but there are unacceptable civilian loss of life, with women and children being traumatized and wounded by the israeli military incursion in to Gaza.
Arabs and all Muslims all over the world have blood on your hands for not rising up against this radical Islamic state agenda supported by terrorism and proxy wars with the west and the Holy Land. The split Palistinian state is corupt annd caught up in a power struggle. Holy War, Jehad, and all of this corupt power hungry perversion of Islam blaspheming the name of Allah, professing God’s will is nothing but a bunch of Holy Horse Crap to promote terrorism pushing the region back in to the seventh century.
JackofHeart is all over the blogs, spewing his pro-Hamas rants which are ostensibly motivated by an unmitigated hatred of Jews. Whether or not Israel has a right to defend itself against missile attacks launched from Gaza by Hamas is irrelevant to him. No matter what the situation might be, he would reflexively jump to support any so-called anti-zionists. He and people like him are the primary reason that there has never been any lasting peace in the Mideast. They have been so full of hatred for so long that they have lost they objectivity, not to mention their humanity. If Hamas had not been firing missiles into Israel for the last several years, there would be no conflict in Gaza right now. If Hamas had ever shown any genuine interest in living in peaceful co-existence with Israel, the greatest beneficiaries of that peace would have been the people of Gaza. But peace does not serve Hamas’ purposes and it would do whatever it could to sabotage any meaningful movement towards lasting peace in the region. It is an organization that was born out of hatred, and which has grown to love death more than life. The suggestion that one can negotiate with such an adversary is preposterous. During the cease-fire, Hamas dedicated itself to preparing for and instigating this crisis. They have laced Gaza with tunnels and positioned weapons caches amid peaceful neighborhoods, schools and hospitals. The more civilians who are killed or injured, the better for Hamas’ goal of fomenting a holy war against Israel. One can only hope that Arab leaders are smarter than that. And one can also hope that Israel doesn’t stop this operation until Hamas, for all intents and purposes, no longer exists. Enough is enough.
No sir! The primary reason for the chaos and the constant fighting is ISRAEL and those jews in D.C that are more loyal to Israel than to America. I don’t even need to continue reading your post because your blaberings are repeats of excuses Israel supporters use to expand their evil. The whole world is witnessing mass killings of children who you say “are being used as human shields!!!” how stupid and inconsiderate, when the children are being killed in their homes. Families of 8, 9 or more are being decentegraded into ashes because of the Israeli bombardment (Just like the 1000′s that were killed in Lebanon in 2006…if your empty head remembers!). As I was saying, America is the only country objecting resolutions condemning Israelis for their cruel murders, and that, my friend (enemy), what makes America is the Biggest supporter of terror in the world. The PAlestinians, since the creation of this zionist country, negotiated down to more than %85 of their original land. You, Israelis, are the ones that are never happy and keep building illegal settlements and violate ALL of the UN resolutions that call for removal of those settlements that are the source of true terrorism. Israel has proven to be a BAD NEIGHBOR for the past 100 years and was the source of most of the “true holocausts” in the world. They have earned the title of “children killers,” Today, the death toll in Gaza stands at 550 1/3 of which are children under 10. How do you justfy that? Other than the Evilness and the disreguard for human lives and humanity.
As I said it to a friend more than 14 years ago; Israel is going to drive America BANKRUPT, politically, economically and Ethically! putting Gaza aside, Israel was the reason why America invaded Iraq and killed and injured more than a million humans. Here in America more than 4000 US soldiers died to whipe out an old nemesis of Israel, Iraq. It was the pro-Israel lobbies in D.C (AIPAC) that supplies the “fake” evidence of WMD’s that gave us an excuse to invade and destroy Iraq. For the sake of Israel, people are suffering everywhere. Here in the USA, we are struggling financially, and yet, BUSH issues a $30 billion free money to Israel…..WHY??? All Israeli lobby pressure. We need people in D.C that work for America, not Israel.
Well guys, thanks for the comments so far. I believe JackofHeart and Replying to John are Non-Middle-Eastern residents and therefore react the way they react.
I respect your views and invite you to search for more objective, accurate and reliable information. As my gym trainer told me when it asked me to run 3 miles, 5 times a week: It would make you Miracles!
R2J,
At no point in your idiotic tirade do you make anything resembling a true statement.
Iraq has nothing to do with this battle. Needless to say, most of the deaths in Iraq were the result of Muslim-on-Muslim violence and not American bullets. Amazing how you condone this.
Also humorous is your sudden belief in the legitimacy of UN Resolutions. This obviously was not part of your agenda in the days leading up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It also is not part of your agenda as Iran ignores the UN and continues to build nuclear weapons. If you are to assert that Radical Islam is somehow a law obiding citizen of the world community then you will pardon my laughter at the thought.
In short, I support Israel because they are the only power in that entire region with the stomach for a fight and a willingness to stand up to murdering animals like Hamas and Hezbollah.
I will gladly toast to an Israeli victory in Gaza and I welcome Fatah as the only hope for Palestinian autonomy.
Let’s face it, neither Palestinians nor Israeli’s have any true right to call that land their own. NO RIGHT AT ALL.
This whole situation will inevitably end in regional apocalypse simply because both parties have conned themselves into believing they actually have some kind of God given mandate to be on that land. What a bunch of BS! Complete and laughable BS if lives weren’t being lost over this kind of foolish thinking!
Nobody has any right to anything! Thinking you have the right to anything is the root cause of all hatred and warfare, personal and national.
Unless the rabid nationalism is somehow overcome, this bloody conflict will remain nothing more than an example for the world of how NOT to live effectively.
Replying to John,
Hamas has been firing rockets into Israel for the entire cease-fire. Children are dying because heartless Palestinians are using civilian areas to launch their rocket attacks. Barbarians! What did you expect? Exactly this I’m sure… Just another chessgame with innocents as their pawns.
I don’t care who took land from who… Hamas are a bunch of terrorist cowards, who hide behind innocents in their attempt to attack “zionists” (as if that word were justification for the daily attrocities committed by religious fanatics). I hope your own people realize what a bunch of crazy religious fanatics live among you and purge them like the cancer they are.
I doubt it though… most Palestinians don’t know how to look toward a brighter future, since their leaders don’t want any of them thinking that far ahead. Instead, they would rather make them look to the past to stoke their anger and their zealotry.
What a shame that it seems the only way this insanity will end is when a large part of the Middle East turns into a sea of glass…
Andrew, while I understand your point you are only stating the obvious while offering no solution to the problem.
That’s cause I don’t believe there is a solution. Honestly.
You can’t force people to change their beliefs, so how can forced peace treaties and forced peace accords possibly help get to the root of this situation?
It’s hard enough overcoming pride when you are one person, how much harder can it be when it’s a People with thousands of years of pride to back up their belief in their own superiority and right to territory?
Nobody here is required to accept what I post on face value. How about this? This is what Nizar Rayan, the recently deceased Hamas leader in Gaza, said in an interview BEFORE the beginning of the current conflict:
“The only reason to have a hudna (cease-fire) is to prepare yourself for the final battle. We don’t need 50 years to prepare ourselves for the final battle with Israel. There is no chance that true Islam would ever allow a Jewish state to survive in the Muslim Middle East. Israel is an impossibility. It is an offense against God. … You (Jews) are murderers of the prophets and you have closed your ears to the Messenger of Allah. Jews tried to kill the Prophet, peace be unto him. All throughout history, you have stood in opposition to the word of God.”
How do you even begin to negotiate real peace with an adversary like Rayan? It’s not possible. We are talking about a faction of Islam that has, for all intents and purposes, gone insane.
As far as Palestine being the rightful home of “Palestinians”, this flies in the face of world history, which shows that the City of David was there more than 1,500 years before Mohammed was even born. There were more Jews in Palestine following World War II than there were so-called Palestinians, which is a made up term. Those people were displaced by the founding of the Jewish state and their plight has been poorly handled by Israel in the years since, but none of that requires Israel not to defend itself from incessant Hamas rocket attacks.
Well Andrew, you misses one important point and that is the human desire to live good, safe and peacefull life.
When the Palestenian desire to build their own state will overcome the desire to destory Israel; then we all see a birghter future.
The primary reason for the chaos and the constant fighting is ISRAEL and those jews in D.C that are more loyal to Israel than to America. The whole world is witnessing mass killings of children who you say “are being used as human shields!!!” how stupid and inconsiderate, when the children are being killed in their homes. Families of 8, 9 or more are being decentegraded into ashes because of the Israeli bombardment (Just like the 1000’s that were killed in Lebanon in 2006…if your empty head remembers!). As I was saying, America is the only country objecting resolutions condemning Israelis for their cruel murders, and that, my friend (enemy), what makes America is the Biggest supporter of terror in the world. The PAlestinians, since the creation of this zionist country, negotiated down to more than %85 of their original land. You, Israelis, are the ones that are never happy and keep building illegal settlements and violate ALL of the UN resolutions that call for removal of those settlements that are the source of true terrorism. Israel has proven to be a BAD NEIGHBOR for the past 100 years and was the source of most of the “true holocausts” in the world. They have earned the title of “children killers,” Today, the death toll in Gaza stands at 550 1/3 of which are children under 10. How do you justfy that? Other than the Evilness and the disreguard for human lives and humanity. Yeah, we do hate Israel more than anything, and thats because we’ve been their neighbors for a very long time and we know their “truth” more than anyone else. Their truth is that to them a non-jew is not worth a dime and is called a “goim”. Do you think they care how many children they behead? their agenda is to dominate the world (by leaching on the super power, USA) and make everyone their servant. They succeeded in America and most of Europe(proof: you can doubt the existance of God but you can’t doubt the existance of the holocausts….lol), but not in our terrirories! DELETED BY SITE ADMIN
JackOfHeart,
Despite my own personal disagreement with your opinion, your input is welcome here. I feel that dialogue is an important part of any possible resolution to the conflict.
However, inciting genocide is not now and never will be welcome at Babeled.
Therefore you will find any further comments of this type removed. That goes for both sides in this debate.
My writing in Babeled.com is a personal attempt to share my opinions and learn from other people. While being thankfull for this opportunity, I also suggest everybody to read adminstrator note in comment #20 beofre making false attmept to publish hatered comments.
there is no place for such comments over here.
Oren I understand what you wrote in comment 18 about Palestinians needing to focus on building a stable society rather than seeking revenge and destruction of their neighbor.
But can you honestly not step into the shoes of the Arabs who had their homes displaced during the process of creating the state of Israel? Do you not get why it might be very very very hard for the Palestinians and other Arabs to say, “Oh well, lets just forgive and forget?”
Their violence is not justified, but their anger most certainly is.
Verbatim: Cablegram from the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to the Secretary General of the United Nations (5/15/1948)
I just wanna tell you something we as Muslim we have now another reason to hate your zionist country and one more story to tell to our children about how criminal are the the zionist and why they have to fight theme, and you can wait to see your children’s or your grandson’s fighting to save there lives from not an arabs army but from a huge unified rising Muslims army and you know the deference between theme; this day is mybe not far aways as you imagin,this is the way we look toward to our brighter future,finely i will tell, you can’t do anything to avoid this fact because with all your criminals act and mass killings of children and civilians your zionist leaders are helping as to spreed our believe.
you can believe in your Armageddon and you final battle against the the evil because we believe the promise that god give as about you.
No replay,
All you know if is war. All that you let yourself know is war. All you will let your children know is war. That is why you will lose. You fight only for the sake of fighting.
Look around you. Your “unified Muslim army” fights with itself more than anyone else. You cannot see past your own petty differences and yet you expect to defeat free men?
Far better than you have tried…far better.
Well said Jack! Well said!
Thanks Andrew for citing an article/ document from the League of Arab States. Just for your knowledge, this organization doesn’t recognize Israel right to exist and therefore launched a boycot on Israel and forbidden any negotiation with its government since 1947.
Nevertheless, here is the arabic answer for the two states solution (I took it from your article)”The Arabs then rejected such a scheme” Why?
Look at the answer of the Grand Mufti answer to the Peel Petition on 1938 (A British plan); they still believe in their right for “All of Palestine, and demand that the Jewish population will be transffered to another country”.
Some geographic issues; well Israel had withdrawed from 65% of what today known as the occupied teritorries (In 1973, in 2004, and in 2006). Just as an additional history note, back in 1948, the state of Israel established on area that had a Jewish majority at this time, and the land in question was neither Arab nor Palestnian.
By the way, the name Palestin was taken from the Romans who ruled the area in 70 C.E. and they attached it to the European people who were sea traders and disappeared 1600 years before Mohamed born.
Thus, Palestinan originaly has nothing to do with Arab origin, simply beacuse the last independent state that had been here before the Romans was Jewish.
At last, I feel it is necessary for you to look at the countless opportunities Israel has given to negotiation, and acted as one-sided (with no partner) in effort to achieve peace. Should I remind you that Israel withdrawed settlements and 8500 people from Near Gaza teritory back in Winter 2005, the same place which is now used by Hamas to fire rockets into Israel?
Oren, hopefully you understand that while I empathize with the Arab frustration at losing land, I also in no way condone their use of violence to express this frustration.
All I’m saying is:
If I owned property for 1,200 years and then lost it I’d probably be pissed off for the first hundred years or so. Maybe even longer.
However, being pissed that you lost your land because you ended up on the wrong side of World War I is no excuse for the endless onslaught of suicide bombers and other acts of violence that have plagued Israel since its creation.
Oren, what say you of the ceasefire?
Oren, what say you of Israel’s use of illegal chemical weapons to put Gaza in it’s place? Evidence is also surfacing that Israel may have sent depleted uranium “dirty bombs” into Gaza.
There is a high possibility your country will be charged for war crimes in the coming days:
Andrew,
At first,there is no evidence yet of using “dirty bombs” and if there is such indication brought later on, I certainly won’t defend any Israeli official.
Second, to Mr. Richard Falk comments, I would like to make one point; any use of the Holocust scenes by anyone should be strongly rejected because none of us was there. Anybody who use the Holocust throw salt on the Jewish nation open wound.
Third, I wish you understood that devastation, starvation and poor neighbourhoods are not a result of the last month. The people of Gaza are hostages by their own people, by Hamas militants for years now.
When every house turn into explosions caves, when they build tunnels instead of schools, when every university lab turn into a rocket building factory, when every $ send overseas hand-up in terrorits hands; the result is poor neighbourhoods.
By the way, support for Hamas is all time low. That’s the reason they are seeking legitimazation as a political rulling group from the EU nations. However, it would be a big mistake.