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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israel mulls truce offer on Day 4 of Gaza assault
2008-12-30

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israel is considering suspending its Gaza offensive to give Hamas militants an opening to halt their rocket fire, but the threat of a ground offensive remains if the truce does not hold, an Israeli defense official said Tuesday.
That sentence in and of itself demonstrates why Israel should dump Kadima, Labor, and all their associated and allied pols.
Israel's defense minister is to raise the proposal during a meeting of Israel's security Cabinet on Wednesday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Israel TV's Channel 10 also reported such a proposal. At the same time, the security Cabinet will also be asked to consider various plans for a ground invasion, the defense official said.

The public rhetoric from Israeli officials has indicated they expect the operation to continue, and a Hamas spokesman said any truce was conditional on the opening of Gaza's borders.

Earlier Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the current, aerial phase of the operation was just "the first of several" that have been approved, an Olmert spokesman said. But after four days of airstrikes against the symbols of Hamas power, there are few targets left beyond buildings evacuated days ago. On Tuesday, the biggest bomb load yet struck an empty Hamas government complex, as well as security installations and the home of a top militant commander.
So keep bouncing the rubble until you find out where the big turbans are hiding.
Posted by:tu3031

#16  Israel is considering suspending its Gaza offensive to give Hamas militants an opening to halt their rocket fire an ability to rearm and dig in..

Posted by: Linker   2008-12-30 21:08  

#15  sometime Jewish writer
Now, that, that's damn arctic
Posted by: .5MT   2008-12-30 20:05  

#14  You're correct TW. I should have referenced Olmert's party rather than Olmert himself. Thanks. ;-)
Posted by: tipover   2008-12-30 18:19  

#13  have the shut off the water, gas and electricity?
If not do so now!
Posted by: 3dc   2008-12-30 17:33  

#12  Israel is considering suspending its Gaza offensive to give Hamas militants an opening to halt their rocket fire.

Churchill said about protecting the Normandy invasion " all truth should, in a war, be accompanied by a bodyguard of lies"



Posted by: Injun Angulet2150   2008-12-30 17:12  

#11  I assume for the sake of discussion Hama Rules do not apply and will never apply in Gaza. Mores the pity.

What are Hama Rules? Tis' a phrase coined by the sometime Jewish writer for the NYT, Tom Friedeman.

In 1980 Daddy Assad's regime was having troubles with "islamic fundies". He id'ed the location of the troubles: the city of Hama in Syria.

Daddy Assad surrounded the city of Hama with all the ground forces at his disposal. For seven days his ground forces pounded Hama. Few were permitted to leave. Low end estimation of the death toll: 10K. High end 25K.

The city was leveled. Thereafter the earth salted.

Oddly enough, Daddy Assad was never troubled with islamo-fundies during the remaining years of his regime.

Hence the term: Hama Rules.

Israel, take note. Daddy Assad didn't give a fig about world opinion. Why should you?
Posted by: MarkZ   2008-12-30 16:58  

#10  Olmert has just bumped up against his worst nightmare. A truce will probably cost him the election as this would be the same result as 2006.

As I recall, Prime Minister Olmert will not be running in February, which agreement kept him from receiving a formal no-confidence vote in September or so, with all that entails. Tzipi Livni will head the Kadimah ticket vs. Ehud Barack for Labour and Benjamin Netenyahu for Likud.
Posted by: trailing wife    2008-12-30 16:01  

#9  Yes Gorb. It is if you keep flattening the enemy while mulling.
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-12-30 15:36  

#8  Is it OK to mull a truce offer for six months?
Posted by: gorb   2008-12-30 15:32  

#7  Backdown? No, I smell a Dinnerjacket trip wire.
Posted by: Besoeker   2008-12-30 15:32  

#6  I hope that Israel rejects ANY and ALL truces with Hamas. By their actions, Hamas have shown that they are a terrorist organization with the purpose of the destruction of Israel. There should be NO negotiations, but just discussions as to where everyone and everything is that Hamas owns or controls.

If Israel backs down from a path of total victory and the destruction of Hamas, she will just be repeating the debacle of the Lebanon fiasco. Suicide on the installment plan.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2008-12-30 15:26  

#5  Change will only occur when Israel annexes a significant portion of Gaza (preferably all) and kicks out the Palis.
Posted by: ed   2008-12-30 15:13  

#4  The UN's De Soto was just on the BBC. He actually attempted to justify the rocket attacks as a signal from Hamas that they be included in negotiations.
Posted by: john frum   2008-12-30 15:09  

#3  Israel Rejects Truce, Presses on With Gaza Strikes

Im glad. Israel has given Hamas too many chances to prove itself. The only thing Hamas will ever be is a terrorist organization.

Posted by: lftbhndagn   2008-12-30 14:03  

#2  Ground forces first: hammer Hamas, flatten everything they own, and make the Gazooks understand that NOONE is allowed to fire a rocket at Israel.

Then call a truce.
Posted by: Steve White   2008-12-30 13:41  

#1  Reinforcing the "lesson learned" in the last 8 years that air power can "condition" the battle area but unless the enemy surrenders ground forces ARE required.

Olmert has just bumped up against his worst nightmare. A truce will probably cost him the election as this would be the same result as 2006.
Posted by: tipover   2008-12-30 13:32  

00:00