Israel declares ceasefire in Gaza

[codedvirus]

Israel declares ceasefire in Gaza

Israel is to halt its three-week military offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said.

He said Israel had achieved its aims and the unilateral ceasefire would start at 0200 (2400 GMT). But he said troops would remain in Gaza for now.

A Hamas spokesman said it would not accept one Israeli soldier in Gaza.

Nearly 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the violence began on 27 December. Thirteen Israelis have died.

Minutes before Mr Olmert was due to speak, a rocket was fired from Gaza, a BBC producer in Gaza said.

'Goals achieved'

The Israeli prime minister's announcement came in a televised address following a late-night cabinet meeting.

Israel's "goals have been achieved, and even more", Mr Olmert said, with Hamas badly damaged both militarily and in terms of infrastructure.

But the success of the ceasefire depended on Hamas, he said.

Troops would remain in Gaza for the time being and if militant rocket fire into Israel continued, Israel would respond with force, he said.

A Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhum, said the group could not "accept the presence of a single [Israeli] soldier in Gaza".

Israel must withdraw completely, lift its economic blockade of Gaza and open border crossings, he said.

Hamas representatives have been taking part in talks in Cairo, brokered by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, aimed at reaching a bilateral truce.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7835794.stm

[codedvirus]

1) Israel declares ceasefire in Gaza
2) Palestinians claim victory
3) Money/aid pours into Gaza
4) Money diverted to tunnel digging teams
5) Money diverted to rocket-making crews
6) Rockets land in southern Israel preferably at the times children are going/coming to/from school
7) Israel sits and takes it
8) Not a peep from Europe
9) Israel responds to rocket fire
10) Europe protests Israel's aggression

[Yala]

sounds about right

[Elin]

1200,too much.I hope its worth because this war badly damaged Israel image.

[Mosche]

1200,too much.I hope its worth because this war badly damaged Israel image.

I call B.$.. The people who criticized Israel's response in this exercise are the same people who criticize Israel every time they get the chance. I actually feel as though Israel helped its image with the online campaign that it utilized. I also feel that there was more criticism for Hamas' use of civilians as shields than there has been in the past--as a matter of fact, I think that many blame the 1200 casualties on Hamas.

[redcake]

You forgot:
Israel sits on it's hands in time for Obama swearing in.

[Elin]

I actually feel as though Israel helped its image with the online campaign that it utilized.

In which world are you living in Mosche?

[bararallu]

1200,too much.I hope its worth because this war badly damaged Israel image.

I don't know Elin, People on our side are still on our side. People, like in a large cross section of the population in EU, e.g., Spain (see the other post in the forum about that), would blame us in any event, and use the War to blame their economic problems as well, typical scapegoating on Jews. I think a line in the sand should be drawn. We have our allies and they have theirs. They will always be in the majority, since most of the world is corrupt and ignorant, cant make a decision without being spoon fed by their Elite governance and associated (often state owned) press, who have their reasons (=petrodollars, petrol access, racial and religious anti-Semitism, anti Nationalist, anti Globalism etc). Israel can never satisfy everyone, nor do we want to.

It's a great Hypocrisy that we get singled out where massive atrocities are going on elsewhere, but those are the breaks. We wont (I hope) stoop to the disgusting level of victimology as practiced by the Palestinians and many other people. Even now, there have been more people killed in the Congo than in Gaza, how much press coverage has that gotten in the US, EU, Turkey? zip. The Chinese and Russians are jailing (and killing) ethnic minorities left and right, how many UN resolutions have there been against them? pretty much nil.

We are a people that have been through multiple decimations, forced conversion, near annihilation, persecution, but we have never lost our positive pro civilizational values. If push comes to shove, someone will have to come and force us to cow tow to Arab violence and hate. Who will it be Nato? the EU? the UN? The Arab League? Until that happens, I don't think the majority of us give an damn. Sure we are somewhat sensitive to it, but not beyond having rockets land on our heads. If killing every Hamas fighter is what it will take, then it will take that. If the civilian deaths rise, that is a problem of Hamas not us. If the US turns it's back on us with Obama, then he will have a hard time winning the next election, and we have recourse even in that situation. We can build what ever we buy from the US and EU. And there are countries on this planet that will sell us what ever we want even though they are the most vociferous anti Israel speakers in the UN.

[Mosche]

In which world are you living in Mosche?

The fact that the IDF posted its videos online helped many of those who might have been undecided to realize that Israel was, indeed, targeting weapon storage facilities and tunnels. While it is anecdotal, several students in my classes--a liberal Boston university classroom--were surprised by the videos; likewise, my students were surprised to see the secondary and tertiary explosions as the stockpiles exploded.

Don't get me wrong, there was the usual outrage from the same old groups (i.e. the UN, liberal media, Islamic apologists, etc...)<---- I stated that in my original post. This time, however, I did hear more commentators--even in the liberal press--forcing the Islamic apologists to admit that Hamas was using citizens as human shields.

[Mosche]

I don't know Elin, People on our side are still on our side. People, like in a large cross section of the population in EU, e.g., Spain (see the other post in the forum about that), would blame us in any event, and use the War to blame their economic problems as well, typical scapegoating on Jews. I think a line in the sand should be drawn. We have our allies and they have theirs. They will always be in the majority, since most of the world is corrupt and ignorant, cant make a decision without being spoon fed by their Elite governance and associated (often state owned) press, who have their reasons (=petrodollars, petrol access, racial and religious anti-Semitism, anti Nationalist, anti Globalism etc). Israel can never satisfy everyone, nor do we want to.

It's a great Hypocrisy that we get singled out where massive atrocities are going on elsewhere, but those are the breaks. We wont (I hope) stoop to the disgusting level of victimology as practiced by the Palestinians and many other people. Even now, there have been more people killed in the Congo than in Gaza, how much press coverage has that gotten in the US, EU, Turkey? zip. The Chinese and Russians are jailing (and killing) ethnic minorities left and right, how many UN resolutions have there been against them? pretty much nil.

We are a people that have been through multiple decimations, forced conversion, near annihilation, persecution, but we have never lost our positive pro civilizational values. If push comes to shove, someone will have to come and force us to cow tow to Arab violence and hate. Who will it be Nato? the EU? the UN? The Arab League? Until that happens, I don't think the majority of us give an damn. Sure we are somewhat sensitive to it, but not beyond having rockets land on our heads. If killing every Hamas fighter is what it will take, then it will take that. If the civilian deaths rise, that is a problem of Hamas not us. If the US turns it's back on us with Obama, then he will have a hard time winning the next election, and we have recourse even in that situation. We can build what ever we buy from the US and EU. And there are countries on this planet that will sell us what ever we want even though they are the most vociferous anti Israel speakers in the UN.

You beat me to the punch--well stated!

[Elin]

@Bararallu&Mosche,

I sure know Israel has to be strong to survive in this region.I feel sorry for the Israeli young people who have to join the army at very early age -right after high school graduation- to protect their country.Its a big responsibility for young people.18-19-20..,they are the best years of one's life.Generations are being lost.Its sad really.

I also don't know if any peace is possible with this Hamas ideology,or even with Al Fatah.There should be a third option,other than terrorist political parties.I don't know,maybe I am too pessimist but I have no hope for any agreement in the middle east.

[Madeline]

Netanyahu: 'No Compromise' Over Iran 's Nukes

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is the "single most important issue" facing incoming President Barack Obama.

And he insisted Israel would not compromise on Iran 's nuclear program.

Appearing on Fox News' "Your World with Neil Cavuto" on Thursday (01/15/09), Netanyahu — who many observers believe is the leading candidate to become prime minister in the upcoming Israeli elections — discussed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and said: "In the case of Hamas and its patron Iran, they openly declare, both of them, their desire to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.

" Iran is racing to produce a nuclear weapon to that end. And so, with people who want to destroy you . . . there is no compromise. What compromise could we make with them? The method of our destruction? Of course not.

"In the case of this forward base of Iran 's next to our cities, ultimately that regime will have to go."

Netanyahu went on to say: "I think there is [an] issue that will be perhaps the single most important issue facing incoming President-elect Obama. And that is the decision to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, for two reasons.

"One is that they intend to use those weapons directly against us. And the second is — you can imagine what would happen to these Iranian bases on the Mediterranean, one in Gaza and one in Lebanon, with Hezbollah, if its proxy terrorists also enjoy a nuclear umbrella.

"The prospect of having a militant Islamic regime committed to Israel 's destruction, a sworn enemy of the United States , having nuclear weapons, which it can give to its proxies, is something very, very frightening indeed.

"And even if it doesn't give it to its proxies, the fact that it will wield a nuclear sword over the heads of the United States, of Israel, and many other countries, is something that should give halt to anyone concerned with the peace of the world. I think this is the biggest and most fundamental challenge facing the United States and the world."

Cavuto referred to incoming Vice President Joe Biden's remark that Barack Obama could be tested in his first few weeks in office and asked Netanyahu if he agreed.

"I have no doubt that the terrorists and their patrons — or the terrorist states and their proxies — will continuously challenge the leadership of the United States ," the former prime minister answered.

"But from my two conversations with President-elect Obama, I could see that he understood this threat.

"He said that he was absolutely committed to making sure that Iran would not acquire nuclear weapons. And I think this was very important."

As Newsmax reported, Netanyahu said in late 2006, "It's 1938, and Iran is Germany , and Iran is racing to arm itself with atomic bombs."





Netanyahu: The Job's Not Over Yet



Reported: 18:24 PM - Jan/18/2009



(IsraelNN.com) Opposition Leader Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the military's job in Gaza is not over yet. Speaking to reporters following a visit to casualties of terrorist fire who are recuperating in Be'er Sheva's Soroka Medical Center , the Likud party leader said, "To tell the truth, the Israel Defense Forces landed a blow to the head of Hamas, but unfortunately, the work is not over. Hamas still controls Gaza and will continue to smuggle weapons in through the Philadelphi Corridor."

He added, “I believe that in the face of Hamas's terror and its Iranian backing, we must show no weakness and we must show a resolute, iron fist, until the enemy is vanquished.”

[bararallu]

And he insisted Israel would not compromise on Iran 's nuclear program.


I'm actually of the opinion that most pressure over Iranian Nukes will come from the Sunni Arabs, namely Saudis, Egyptians etc.

I also think the Mullahs will wait to do a test detonation until the US will clear out of Iraq. This will give them cart blanche ability to keep the US out of the ME; their playgrounds in Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq and soon enough, some Gulf countries and Shia dominated regions in SA (all oil baring). The Saudis will raise the stakes and detonate a Pakistani made and provided (since they partially funded the program) weapon test. And so it will go... a regional cold war turning nuclear. Except in the ME, the M.A.D equivalent of "rational actor" is a fundamentalist waiting for a mahdi or the last day to fight the Jews.

[Yala]

1200,too much.I hope its worth because this war badly damaged Israel image.

Elin, they said the same when Israel destroyed Saddam's nuclear weapons. Years later everyone said Israel was right to do it and made the world safer.

Israel has to protect their citizens. I think there were better ways than this operation but in any case, if this is how they feel, let's see what happens. Sometimes it takes a while to see the actual results.

[ItsMyJewty]

What's more important - Israel's image or protecting its citizens?

[NewsGuy]

The main question is whether Israel accomplished its goals, and whether those goals were correct in the first place.

When the operation started, the Israeli cabinet said it would bring down the Hamas government. Later, the goals became a lot more modest, with just hurting Hamas, then the goals were changed to restoring Israel's deterrence, and stopping Hamas from firing rockets into Israel.

IMO, the only goal that was acceptable, considering the military and civilian cost would have been to eliminate Hamas completely, and to cut off the Iranian threat from Gaza. Obviously, that wasn't accomplished.

Instead, Israel's Leftist administration headed by Livni and Olmert, decided to pull out while Israel was very close to victory. Apparently, Israel's interests took a back seat to making sure that the IDF was out of Gaza before the Obama inauguration party.

On the up side, though, it's possible that the Palestinian people will get the message, once they see the full extent of the devastation caused by Hamas' insistence on going to war against Israel. Who knows? In the Muslim culture, which values death over life, this war may be just another feather in the cap of global Jihad. Time will tell...

[ygalg1]

luck is changeable. we survived wars and battles. one day the luck won't be on our favor and we will survive none.

[codedvirus]

Haniyeh: We have achieved victory
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232292901812&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
---------------------------------------------------------------------
UK makes £20m aid promise to Gaza
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7835937.stm

[Y. Shulamith]

If that's victory, I'd hate for Hamas to to see defeat...what imbeciles!!

[Madeline]

If that's victory, I'd hate for Hamas to to see defeat...what imbeciles!!

What do you expect? A brain? Wow, this is beyond words, really.

[Mediocrates]

Most of the Arab world sees the news their leaders want them to see. If they say it's a victory, 200 million Arabs will agree that it is.

[Madeline]

Most of the Arab world sees the news their leaders want them to see. If they say it's a victory, 200 million Arabs will agree that it is.
I betcha, the Hamas 'brown nosers" agree as well.

[NewsGuy]

"But from my two conversations with President-elect Obama, I could see that he understood this threat.

"He said that he was absolutely committed to making sure that Iran would not acquire nuclear weapons. And I think this was very important."

Let's face it: Obama speaks out of both sides of this mouth. No one really knows what Obama intends on doing, except that he intends on helping Iran get nuclear weapons. By starting lengthy, useless negotiations (after the Europeans have done so and failed for the past 5 years), Obama intends on giving Tehran enough time to stall so they can develop nuclear weapons.

Countries like Iran, Syria, Russia, North Korea, etc., understand that Obama is weak and inexperienced, and they will use those facts to move their agendas ahead. After about two years of leading Obama around by the nose in pointless "negotiations," Iran will unveil its first nuclear weapons.

[Madeline]

Let's face it: Obama speaks out of both sides of this mouth. No one really knows what Obama intends on doing, except that he intends on helping Iran get nuclear weapons. By starting lengthy, useless negotiations (after the Europeans have done so and failed for the past 5 years), Obama intends on giving Tehran enough time to stall so they can develop nuclear weapons.

Countries like Iran, Syria, Russia, North Korea, etc., understand that Obama is weak and inexperienced, and they will use those facts to move their agendas ahead. After about two years of leading Obama around by the nose in pointless "negotiations," Iran will unveil its first nuclear weapons.
The fact is that we don't know the first thing about Mr. Obama. Someone with his credentials would, in real life...you know, the one every day people live..not pass any background check, wouldn't even qualify for a CIA position. And here he is their boss. What do you think will happen?

[Y. Shulamith]

SCREW THE CEASEFIRE!!!!

Hamas Attacks IDF Soldiers, 1 Dead


Hit Gaza with all Israel has got to give.....:stick:

[Y. Shulamith]

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE??????

Hamas Attacks IDF Soldiers, 1 Dead

by Hana Levi Julian


(IsraelNN.com) Less than a week after the IDF left Gaza, Hamas terrorists returned to “business as usual” with an attack on Israeli soldiers at the Kissufim crossing Tuesday morning in a new violation of the ceasefire that killed one soldier and wounded three others. The fallen soldier was a non-commissioned officer and was identified as a Bedouin, whose name his family declined to publish.

One officer was seriously wounded and two other soldiers were lightly wounded.in the attack The officer was airlifted by helicopter to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, where he was rushed into emergency surgery. The other two soldiers were evacuated to Soroka by ambulance.

Terrorists detonated the explosive device around 8:00 a.m. after they had planted along the security fence as an IDF soldiers' vehicle patrolled near the Kissufim crossing. The terrorists also fired a number of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) at Israel.

The IDF responded with machine gun and tank fire and shut down the crossing points

According to the Hebrew-language Yediot Acharonot, IDF ground forces returned to Gaza in response to the violation of the ceasefire. Hamas was warned repeatedly by Egypt and Israel not to test Israel's resolve. The government has threatened an immediate and harsh retaliation to any ceasfire violation.

Gunfire was clearly heard in central Gaza, according to local sources, and Israeli helicopters reportedly were seen firing bursts from machine guns. Gaza sources reported one dead, who they said was a farmer, in an exchange of gunfire between soldiers and terrorists. Two explosions were heard in Gaza City as well.

"We hit Hamas hard [in Operation Cast Lead], but that does not mean it will disappear," said Defense Minister Ehud Barak during a Tuesday morning visit to soldiers stationed near Gaza. "There will be attacks occasionally."

Hamas struck on the eve of the visit of new United States Middle East envoy Sen. George Mitchell.

According to the IDF, Hamas told its operatives following the conclusion of Operation Cast Lead to continue to target Israeli soldiers, despite having called for a ceasefire. IDF sources said Tuesday’s attack shows that Hamas does not intend to include activities against Israeli soldiers in its ceasefire agreement.

Hamas previously fired mortar shells on the western Negev on the first day of the truce.

[maven]

I :unsure: can't post a thread because I'm too new but I want you to watch the station which is poisoning the minds of Britain's youth against Israel:

Listen To BRITAIN'S NEW JOSEPH GOEBBELS on Press TV Iran broadcasting from london to the whole world.

Notice later on in the clip how he cleverly distances the new liberal and leftist neo-fascists from the Nazis, i.e. anti-Zionism has replaced anti-Semitism as a means to attack Israel:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nE9lO6IH4hE&feature=PlayList&p=7F57EC6D4350687D&playnext=1&index=26

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tl-H2WDpUFY&feature=PlayList&p=7F57EC6D4350687D&index=27&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL

[Madeline]

more than a few words, sorry. This is very interesting...

Israel, Gaza and International Law By Alan M. Dershowitz
FrontPageMagazine.com | Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The cease fire on the ground has not ended the war of words against Israel. Indeed, efforts to charge Israel with war crimes and other violations of international law are escalating. The time has come, therefore, for a common sense legal and moral analysis of the events in Gaza and southern Israel. Let us begin with an argument that is frequently made against Israel. It is pointed out by supporters of Hamas that the official governing authority of Gaza is Hamas, because Hamas won the election. To the extent this is true, however, it is an argument in justification of Israel’s actions. If Hamas is the official government of Gaza and if Hamas ordered the firing of more of than 6,000 deadly rockets at Israeli civilians, then it follows that the government of Gaza has engaged in an armed attack against Israel under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. In other words, the government of Gaza has declared war against the government and people of Israel. This should not be surprising, since the Hamas Charter calls for the military destruction of Israel.
Under international law, and under the UN Charter, Israel has the right to respond to these thousands of armed attacks. Indeed every rocket fired into Israel is an armed attack and Israel is entitled to take whatever military actions is deemed reasonably necessary to stop these armed attacks from occurring. If Hamas were merely a small terrorist gang operating from Gaza but without the approval of the government, it would be more difficult to justify a military response that destroyed government buildings and targeted police. Israeli military actions resulted in civilians dying. Precisely how many is hotly disputed: a study conducted by the Italian Newspaper Corriere Del Sera disputed Hamas figures and put the total number of Palestinians killed, including Hamas terrorists, at less than 600. The sad reality is that people who voted for and actively support a terrorist government bear more responsibility for the actions of their government than they would for a gang operating against the wishes of the government. Surely the voters in Germany who elected Hitler bore more responsibility for Nazi atrocities than the people of Iraq did for the atrocities of the dictator Saddam Hussein, who was never fairly elected.
Israel clearly had to right to take whatever military action was necessary to stop the Hamas government from playing Russian roulette with the lives of its children. So far, no problem under international law. But here’s the rub. International law also requires that Israel’s actions must not be disproportional to its military aims and it also prohibits the willful targeting of Palestinian civilians.
To make things even more complicated, international law prohibits the use of human shields to protect combatants from lawful military actions taken by those against whom it has waged an armed attack. And there can be absolutely no doubt that it is the official policy of Hamas to use children, women, schools, mosques, hospitals and other civilian institutions and areas as shields to protect its combatants from legitimate Israeli military actions. In addition to the video evidence showing Hamas fighters deliberately placing their rockets adjacent to UN schools, mosques and to residential areas, there are the express statements of officially-elected Hamas leaders both before and during the fighting. Consider the following public statement delivered by a Hamas legislator, transmitted on Hamas television and widely circulated by video. The legislator’s name is Fathi Hammad and here is what he said:
“[The enemies of Allah] do not know that the Palestinian people has developed its [methods] of death and death-seeking. For the Palestinian people, death has become an industry, at which women excel, and so do all the people living on this land. The elderly excel at this, and so do the mujahideen and the children. This is why they have formed human shields of the women, the children, the elderly, and the mujahideen, in order to challenge the Zionist bombing machine. It is as if they were saying to the Zionist enemy: ‘We desire death like you desire life.’”
more...
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles...2-FA2C21C824D6

Now, does anyone want to have tea with the above mentioned fellas? Or their friends? With the one who wants to wipe Israel off the map perhaps?