Israel Moves Closer To Gaza Invasion

Says It Will Respond To Barrage Of Palestinian Militant Rocket Attacks Since End Of Cease-Fire

(AP)  Israel moved closer to invading Gaza, saying Thursday it had wrapped up preparations for a broad offensive after Palestinian militants fired about 100 rockets and mortar shells across the border in two days.

Israel's foreign minister brushed off a call for restraint from Egypt's president, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak made a direct appeal to Gaza's people to pressure their leaders to stop the barrages. But the attacks showed no signs of ending. By nightfall, three rockets and 15 mortar shells had exploded in Israel.

Olmert issued his appeal in a rare interview with the Arabic language satellite channel al-Arabiya, saying Israel would not hesitate to respond with force if the attacks continued.

"I am telling them now, it may be the last minute, I'm telling them stop it. We are stronger," he said.

Thursday's rocket fire was far less than the barrage of 80 rockets the previous day, and there were no reports of injuries. But Israeli leaders said the continued fire - the most intense since Egypt brokered a cease-fire last June - was unacceptable.

One of the mortar shells landed at Israel's passenger crossing with Gaza just as a group of Palestinian Christians was going through on their way to the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations, the military said. Another rocket exploded after nightfall in an industrial park south of the coastal city of Ashkelon, police said.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak invited Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to Cairo to discuss the possibility of renewing the truce, which expired Friday. But by the time Livni arrived, she was in no mood to discuss a cease-fire, and she dismissed Mubarak's pleas for restraint.

"Enough is enough," she said afterward. "When there's shooting, there's a response. Any state would react that way."

In Israel, Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that "whoever harms the citizens and soldiers of Israel will pay a heavy price."

He did not elaborate. But defense officials, speaking on condition on anonymity because they were discussing classified information, said the Israeli operation would likely begin with surgical airstrikes against rocket launchers and continue with a land invasion. Harsh weather conditions are hampering visibility and complicating air force missions, so the operation won't be launched until the skies clear, they added.

Another complication is national elections set for Feb. 10. Both Barak and Livni are running for prime minister, and they are under heavy pressure from opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu to act. Netanyahu, who advocates tough action against Palestinian militants, is the front-runner in the election, according to opinion polls.

Despite the tough talk, Israel has been reluctant to embark on an offensive liable to exact heavy casualties on both sides. Gaza's militants operate in crowded civilian areas, and past invasions have not halted the barrages.

The barrages have caused no casualties over the past two days, but there has been property damage, and tens of thousands of Israelis near Gaza have been instructed to stay indoors. TV newscasts have been showing panic-stricken children.

Israel left Gaza in 2005 after a 38-year occupation, but still controls its border crossings, blockaded for months in an effort to pressure militants to halt their fire. Islamic Hamas militants seized control of Gaza in June 2007, after routing security forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Despite the rocket fire, Israel's Defense Ministry said late Thursday that it would open two cargo crossings Friday to allow a limited amount of vital supplies to enter. Israel's policy is to avoid a humanitarian crisis there, while keeping up the pressure.

In the West Bank, Abbas visited Hebron, the area's largest city, for the first time since he took office in 2005. Israeli forces control a section in the middle of the city to protect about 500 Jewish settlers living in several enclaves. Hebron is home to about 170,000 Palestinians.

Abbas demanded that the settlers get out. "Hebron is ours, and they have to leave if they want peace," he said.

Also Thursday, an Israeli military court sentenced the leader of a Palestinian group to 30 years in prison for participating in anti-Israel attacks.

Ahmed Saadat is the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The PFLP took responsibility for killing Israeli Cabinet minister Rehavam Zeevi at a Jerusalem hotel in 2001. Saadat was acquitted of planning the assassination, but sentenced for other attacks, the military said.

In neighboring Lebanon, meanwhile, Lebanese army officers said troops discovered seven rockets set up with timers that were on the verge of firing near the border with Israel. They said troops were dismantling the Katyusha rockets.

They would not say if the rockets were directed toward Israel. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of military rules.

The militant group Hezbollah has a large rocket arsenal, but has rarely used them against Israel since their 2006 war. Last year, a previously unknown militant Islamic group fired two rockets into Israel.

[sailmail]

i am an atheist who recommends that all religions throughout the world be forbidden and abolished. religious wars are behind most conflicts with ownership of oil second. however i am not anti-religion, let each practice according to their need but do remember religion was invented by man mainly because man does not want to die alone: man wanted to be comfortable in death.

the jews are smearing the palis with american built tanks/jets/guns/technology and money donations. while the palis fire mostly ineffective homemade missiles at the jews. do not forget the jews attacked an american intel ship in ''67 and killed many american sailors... all the jews said was that they were sorry. i am sick and tired of the viciousness of the jews and wish the palis unlimited success in destroying israel.

[tommaralem]

Read the TALMUD. It proclaims superiority of the Jew over the non-jew. It claims that the Jew can lie to and cheat the non-jew.

It is not a book from Moses(Peace upon him), who was a MUSLIM. It was a book concocted by the Pharasies after Jesus(Peace upon him).

The Pharasies(Pharoah, Pharasies) claim that it is a book which dictates oral laws given to Musa(Moses, SAW). If they are the Hadith of Musa(SAW) I would like to see the proof, through the Isnad(Chain of narrators). WE Muslims have the Hadith of Muhammad(SAW), which we corroborate through the chain of narrators and the reliability of those narrators.

[tommaralem]

Read the TALMUD. It proclaims superiority of the Jew over the non-jew. It claims that the Jew can lie to and cheat the non-jew.

It is not a book from Moses(Peace upon him), who was a MUSLIM. It was a book concocted by the Pharasies after Jesus(Peace upon him).

The Pharasies(Pharoah, Pharasies) claim that it is a book which dictates oral laws given to Musa(Moses, SAW). If they are the Hadith of Musa(SAW) I would like to see the proof, through the Isnad(Chain of narrators). WE Muslims have the Hadith of Muhammad(SAW), which we corroborate through the chain of narrators and the reliability of those narrators.

Why is Hamas throwing rockets at you? It is because of 50+ years of bitterness that they still hold on to. You cannot look at this matter and think of day to day things.

It is the matter in which Israel was founded and how they use the Guilt/Pity over the Holocost as a political tool with which they blackmail the US and Europe.

[tommaralem]

There is no such thing as a ''moderate'' arab state. There is a state that America and Israel have bought off or threatened war on and made submit to them.

There are US troops on Saudi Soil. Israel holds Egypt and Jordan under control. They are not moderate, they are forced to shut up because of military threat.

[jsd330]

gkantz If you love israel so much then when they invade gaza go over and fight for them. The U.S. doesn''t need isreal or palistine to be our allies. Since we always side with israel, that is exactly why the muslims hate us. jews will screw an american just as quick as a muslim will.

[gkantz]

@jsd330,

Are you reading Palestinian propaganda again or are you just plain stupid and naive? And this goes for the rest of you making similar comments. TRUTH - it has been the ARABS and fanatic MUSLIMS that want to KILL and DESTROY Israel, NOT the other way around. Are the Israelis firing rockets across to Gaza? NO, fool. Why did they build a blockade? To protect their OWN people and sovereignty. Gimme a break - how many innocent Israelis get killed and it''s ALWAYS the "poor" Palestinians that whine about how Israel is the aggressor. LIES. In fact, in truth it''s the other way around. Funny how we forget how the "innocent" woman and children in the Palestinian territories were dancing in the streets celebrating on September 11, 2001. Did you see any Israelis doing that? No, because they are not TERRORISTS.

No matter what you might think, this is what we call anti-Semitism. And if you think otherwise you''re all idiots.

[jsd330]

Cut all the BULL, these people have been fighting with each other for thousands of years. The only thing to do is for the U.S. to stop all foreign and military aid to israel.Then sit back and see what happens.They will either kill each other off or come to a peace agreement. Either way is fine with me as long as we don''t end up sacrificing american lives, for their petty disagreements.

[jimandvictor]

r9119111...

Well, another stray rocket has just killed 2 young Pali girls in Gaza according to Yahoo news.

Now you were saying about how the poor innocent palis are just throwing rocks...another naive with a size ten stuck in his mouth.

[r9119111]

I''ve learned that fear is the basis of all intolerance. I am neither a jew or a muslim. I am only an observer.

My best guess is that today''s jews and muslims are passing on the fears they were taught by their ancestors. The primary means by which they pass on these fears is through the teaching of their religious books that were written during a time when there was plenty to be fearful about.

Modern scholars in all religions would do everyone in the world a great favor if they would examine their teachings to find what makes people fearful enough to justify killing each other in the name of God. Do we really believe that God wants us to kill each other in his name? Really?

Do you really think God has chosen people or might he love all of us equally -- even crooks, criminals and politicians. Sorry about that -- what a temptation!

We''re all on this planet and we better learn to get along better with each other. There is enough to be fearful over with having good religious folks who think they are doing the right thing by their ancestors being the instigators of more fears. Try something new, become unifiers not dividers. Unifiers are people who bring other people together even though they might be imperfect. Dividers are those fearful people who try to separate others because they are different and try to esploit their differences.

My best suggestion: Revise those fearful teachings of from the past least we all suffer from your inflexibility.

[Sharkdog2000]

Just stop already, would you? Please? This endless cycle of hatred & killing is never going to end and WOW is it getting old already. You''re both right, both wrong - figure it out like grown-ups already. The violence is stupid & achieves no long-term benefits. EVER.

[samrt-2009]

Israel can probably realize short-term gains with a full-out assault on the Palestinians, and in politics the only thing that counts are short-term gains, so I full expect a bloodbath.

Countries that possess superior military capacity have historically used a narrow range of tactics to suppress insurgencies: 1) killing enough of the civilian population to reduce support for insurgents; 2) destroying the infrastructure available for survivors; 3) driving the survivors into internment camps where they can be controlled; and 4) killing the insurgents, where possible.

If one is to believe the official archives of the Israeli government, these are exactly the tactics used by Zionists when they "settled the region" in 1948. They also are the tactics used by the United States in Vietnam in order to "defend democracy" there.

In the case of Vietnam, despite what Defense Secretary Robert McNamara later claimed was a civilian body count of 3.5 million, the tactics didn''t work. Judging by the persistence of the Palestinians, they won''t work there either.

[emelder]

Posted by morphndol8 at 01:21 AM : Dec 26, 2008

... and do you have any comments about the article???

[emelder]

Better not! Typical season in the Holy Land for "peace on earth and good will toward men"? Israel needs to show serious restraint ... full-scale invasion will never work for them! Throttle down!!!

[zietzke-2009]

Is this a suprise ? These people have hated each other for over 2 thousand years. No agreements or treaties will solve these peoples problems...

The U.S. should stay out of this mess and let these people fight it out....The U.S. has its on problems. The U.S. cannot be the Worlds police forever. Its ime for this to end. NO MORE MONEY FOR EITHER SIDE !!

[mdmo1]

GO HOME

[roscoe2400-2009]

Posted by Mcliar at 11:06 PM : Dec 25, 2008


Sorry to disagree, but Israel will never be put in a situation where the Jews will be a minority! It will never happen!

[mdmo1]

Israel would LOVE PEACE What your saying is you need go home and be with the palestinian

[roscoe2400-2009]

The Palestinian Rockets are a joke. To start another war over something so ineffective proves that Israel will never allow any peace in Palestine. America would be more justified to destroy Mexico over the cartels that kill in America
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by powmadeak47
#1 This has nothing do with America!
#2 This has everything to do with being physicaly threatened on a daily basis!
#3 Smoke em! Eliminate the problem! Move on!

[mdmo1]

Palestinian my foot the Palestinian like to start *** and as a American I HOPE Israeli get all of the *** starter

[jsd330]

gkantz and how about the jews killing innocent Palesitnian women and children and starving them with a blockade. You blockade me, and my family is hungry, guess what I''m going to try to kill you.
The israelies provoke their own problems over there, they don''t want peace.