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Subscribe to RSSAfter five days of mounting violence, Israel and the Palestinians stepped back from the brink of a new war in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, sending signals to each other via Egypt that they would hold their fire unless attacked.
The tacit truce arrested an escalation to all-out fighting, but both sides remain armed and primed for another round in the unresolved conflict that has festered since Hamas Islamist militants took over the enclave in 2007.
Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of Gaza's Hamas government, praised the main armed factions in the enclave for agreeing on Monday night to a truce.
"They showed a high sense of responsibility by saying they would respect calm should the Israeli occupation also abide by it," he said.
Haniyeh spoke during an unannounced visit to a hospital to see wounded Palestinians. Some Israeli leaders say it is time to resume the controversial tactic of assassinating Hamas leaders.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu consulted his inner circle of ministers in Jerusalem. One of them, Benny Begin, said the flare-up had subsided but the conflict was far from resolved.
A Palestinian rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck a house in southern Israel today, causing damage but no injuries. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
"This round of firing appears to have ended and things must be looked at soberly without illusions for both sides," he said.
Matter ‘definitely not ended’
Netanyahu promised Israelis security.
"Whoever thinks they can harm the routine lives of southern residents without paying a very heavy price is mistaken," the prime minister said in a radio speech. "And I am responsible for us exacting this price at the most proper time."
Three Palestinian fighters and four civilians have been killed by Israeli fire since Saturday, and 40 others wounded. Eight Israeli civilians were injured by some of the 115 rockets fired from Gaza and four soldiers were wounded by the anti-tank missile that hit their jeep and fuelled the fighting.
Israel fires into Syria for second day, scores 'direct hits'
An official involved in the Egyptian mediation confirmed both sides were ready to stop.
"The message was clear and Israel, too told Egypt they were not interested in escalation if rocket firing stopped. The situation now is calm for calm and I hope it does not deteriorate," the official told Reuters
Israel struck three targets in the Gaza Strip in the early hours Tuesday, including what the army said was a weapons depot and two rocket launch sites. There were no casualties.
Only one Palestinian rocket strike was reported in Israel by 10.00 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) on Tuesday.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak told reporters that Israel was not prepared to forgive and forget the days of violence.
"The matter has definitely not ended and we will decide how and when to act at the time when there will be a need," he said.
Israel has shown little appetite for a new Gaza war, which could strain relations with the new Islamist-rooted government in neighboring Egypt. The countries made peace in 1979.
Israel warns of tough response after Gaza rocket hits house
But Netanyahu will be reluctant to seem weak ahead of a Jan. 22 election that opinion polls currently predict he will win.
Hamas emboldened
Hamas is emboldened by the rise to power in Egypt of its spiritual mentors in the Muslim Brotherhood, whom it views as a "safety net" that would stop an all-out Israeli onslaught.
The Palestinian Islamist movement believes it now presents a challenge that Israel's military superiority cannot easily best.
"This assault and other assaults by the occupation will not break the will of the Palestinian people and their steadfastness in the face of barbaric Israeli attacks," Haniyeh said.
Israel invaded Gaza in their last war in January 2009, in which 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed. International critics said Israel used "disproportionate force."
Strategists say there is no obvious military solution to the conflict, barring re-occupation of a territory Israel held from 1967 to the unilateral withdrawal of 2005. And re-occupation would be a security nightmare.
Israel drawn into Syria conflict, fires missile across border
Hamas, ruling 1.7 million Gazans, does not recognize Israel and pledged to win all of Israeli territory by force for the Palestinians. Its stance is in stark contrast to the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, which recognizes Israel and is ready to make permanent peace in return for a state.
The gulf between them poses a seemingly insoluble obstacle to the goal of a peace treaty establishing a Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital.
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Israel is truly a dangerous animal--it defends itself when attacked.
Even worse - it uses "disproportionate" force when, clearly, the ethical thing to do would be to give its mortal enemies a fighting chance!!!
“Disproportionate?” Since Israel has left the Gaza strip in 2005 (back to pre-67 lines) and evicted its Israeli citizens from said area, Over 10,000 rocket/mortars have been given in return. You call strategic strikes on military targets “disproportionate.”
Nobody wants to see innocent people killed but, maybe the Jihadist should stop firing from civilian areas and stop stockpiling weapons in public buildings, houses, and mosques just like every other Jihadist does in the whole of the middle east region.
“Mortal enemies?” 1,573,000 or 20.4% (As of 2010) Israel (not West bank or Gaza) are Arabs that work, live and prosper. Please, get real!
I think Travis was being sarcastic....I think....if not, what sifusteve said Travis!
Hamas,and other terrorist groups are the storm troopers of all the Arabs who rejected partition in 1948 to get their own state to reflect their historical reality along with the Jewish homeland of Israel for the Jews that wanted to live there. The Arabs blew it then and are blowing it now. The partition was through the U.N and the international community. The Arabs are the aggressors not the Israelsi who act in self defense.Israel proper is as much a country as any in the world.There have been many new countries in this century and particularly since 1948.Israel joined them.If the Arab and Muslim countries don´t accept Israel, and try to destroy it they are criminals against the peace,and are gulity of international war crimes.This struggle has nothing to do with tit for tat.The attacks on Israel proper are aggressive and declarations of war.Any country would defense itself as Israel does.No country will roll over play dead ,if attacked.As the writer above says "get real!
The only reason the Palestinians agree to hold fire is because they are outgunned and will lose every time.
The Isrealis are the ones who want peace. If the roles were reversed, the Palestinians would have jewish death camps all over the place. These people teach their children to kill and hate. How can you make peace with a people who spew ideology like that.
Keep your nads Isreal! Don't back down one step.
Inbreeding?.....envy?.....Jealousy?......generation upon generation of brainwashing?...or whatever other insulting reason you can think of....the bottom line is that Isreal has every right to defend itself. If Mexicans were lobbing grenades over the fence ya think we'd just sit around and watch?...well maybe, come to think of it.
Throwing stones? is that what they were shooting at school buses and homes? stones?
Actually, the Palestinians are far and away the most liberal and Western of any nationality in the Middle East. They have an active civil society, they have elected officials, 60% of the people in universities are women...one could go on. You may have noticed a story on NBC the other day about a brewery on the West Bank. Yep - a brewery. Doesn't seem like that extreme of a place to me.
Of course there are the HAMAS type of people as well - just as there were IRA people walking around in Northern Ireland - or ETA people walking around in Spain - or KKK people walking around here...but to paint the entire people as ideologically driven bloodthirsty madmen is the mark of a very dim bulb. These problems really aren't that simple.
Again, I could care less about who owns some worthless scrap of land in the Mediterranean. But anyone interested (and I'm not saying I'm one who is) in finding a resolution to this problem has to drop the good vs. evil metanarrative and realize that both sides are driven by legitimate objectives.
Travis - I agree with your statements on palestinians. The only problem with your statement is that KKK was not elected by the people in the US, Hamas was elected by the palestinians, who then proceeded to butcher the Fatah people and throw them out of Gaza. That is more than just being a mob.
Moshe, Israel does not use the Abrams - they make their own battle tank.
Well said Troy!!!! Don't back down Israel, at least you have God on your side. *tips hat*
Some Israeli leaders say it is time to resume the controversial tactic of assassinating Hamas leaders.
Right, that's REALLY the best way to peace. You cannot make peace with a leaderless mob. You cannot talk terms with a leaderless mob. The only way that people who feel like they've been wronged will stop fighting is if someone they trust tells them to stop. Assassinating anyone they trust is the #1 best way to continue the chaos.
Do you think their current leaders, whom they sort of trust, will be telling them to stop any time soon?
Yeahbuh: I actually agree with you premise. I'm Israeli and was never in favor of assassinating Palestinian leaders. There will always be another crackpot to take their place and the assassination will promote additional radicalism in the populace. A current leader is also a known quantity and the replacement might be worse.
Let me guess. The cease fire will only last until the Hamas terrorists can resupply with rockets through the smuggling tunnels from Egypt.
EXACTLY! The Palestinians always cry cease fire when they run out of bullets!
The best way to peace is to rid israel of the zionist bigot and warmonger nittyahoo, be it through the ballet box or an assassin's bullet. Political assassination in israel is not uncommon, Rabin was gunned down by a zionist zealot.
heil hitler - If netanyahu was not there, you would have found another reason to hate israel. Please, don't tell me you will run and hug the Israelis if netanyahu loses the elections.
Well, Bibi is even less likely to loose now.
This little shoot-out probably brought him a couple thousand votes.
If Hamas and their supporters hate Bibi so much, they are really working against themselves.
Frankly israel will be better regarded and accepted by the international community should they get rid of the zionist zealots that control the government and learn to live in peace with her neighbours. Righteous people disdain and loathe of israel zionist government policy but not ordinary jewish folks.
No doubt many critics will hug the israelis if nittyahoo and liebermann got boot out of the office and if the stolen land are returned to the Palestinians.
farideh,
Henrich von HitlerDorf is always spewing hatred for Isreal and Jews in general. His statements regarding anything jewish are almost always predictable. He clearly does not like anything Jewish.
"Frankly israel will be better regarded and accepted by the international community should they get rid of the zionist zealots that control the government and learn to live in peace with her neighbours"
So Isreal should get rid of Zionists eh? That's like saying Germany should get rid of Germans von Hitler....which actually might not be a bad idea. Too bad it wasn't done in 1945.
Isreal has the capacity to "get rid" of its neighbors yet attempts a strategy of defense instead of, oh I don't know, blitzkrieg and slaughter. They have every right to defend Isreal and there is no such thing as Palestine. Do some research vonHitlerDorf. The Palestinians preach hatred and teach their children to hate and kill other people. Isrealis do not.
Von Dorf: So you cite one assassination in Israel's history as an example of how "common" assassinaton there is? I guess you believe that by making stupid comments often enough you will eventually convince the world of the soundness of your argument - a tactic of the desperate trying to grasp at straws. Curious that you are never critical of your Muslim friends. Kindly explain why not even one of the many Muslim countries in the region has offered to take in their Syrian refugee brothers who are attempting to escape the fighting by fleeing to Europe as opposed to another Muslim country. Also curious that many African refugees attempted to go to Israel as opposed to one of the many Muslim countries in the region. Von Dorf: You've caused enough damage to the world during WWII. You have no credibility left. South America is a perfect place for you and others like you to be hiding. Regards to Chavez.
There will be no permanent peace like this. Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
FYI...When the Palestinians talk about occupied territories, it should be understood that they are referring to ALL of Israel [not just the West bank and (currently unoccupied) Gaza Strip.]
They do not even teach that Isreal exists in their children's classrooms. Their text books call it Palestine. The Palestinians teach their children to hate Jews and Christians and are proud of their sons for blowing themselves up to kill innocent people. They sound like a terrific people don't they. It would be like letting a rabid pig out of the pen to let these people have their own state.
As a whole they are barbaric and preach an extreme ideology that is dangerous for themselves and others. If it continues they will all have their supposed 72 virgins real soon.
Isreal has been around for 4000 years. The Palestinians are nothing more than displaced unwanted Arabs from the surrounding countries claiming something that does not belong to them. The only reason the surrounding Arab countries are siding with Palestinians is because they do not want them back. They should enjoy the peace they currently have.
Israel illegally occupying Palestinian land. Steeling their freedom, burning Palestinian children with phosphorus bomb. Last week they went to Gaza with bulldozer to steel more land and killing 12 years old. When Palestinian react, Israel cry out loud terrorist. Israel is the biggest terrorist in the world, ignoring the world demand to stop illegal occupation and blocking the way of human right organization. This is not BS or any Jewish Lobbyist propaganda they are the facts. In other hand Jewish lobbyist keep American public slave by using FOX NEWS. You want to know the facts visit:
This tiny little Israel is the pain for the world and cost 8.4 million Per day to America.
Asad you sound like you´ve studied at a Pakistan terrorist training camp or maybe hezbollah or hamas.You are brainwashed by jihadd,sharia "kill the infidel mentality"Who´s going to take what sounds like Islamic terrorist pyscho ranting. Your inventions and big lies fantasies about Israel should fool noone but another supporter of Islamic terrorism.
Asad - Have you also calculated how much it cost us to support your country Pakistan??????
Asad,
Al Qur'an, Al Isra' [Surah 17:]1-9, 101-104. Read it. Understand it well.
The "phosphorus bombs" are propaganda. If they stopped firing Qassams from school yards, maybe tracer rounds would not need to be used to ensure accuracy in firing back at the targets hidden in school yards? The Palestinians use their own people for human shields.
To see how the propaganda machine works over there, to "The Second Draft" website and watch the Pallywood and Al Dura videos.
The idf thugs' use of white phosphorous shells was a fact not propaganda. israeli military confirmed the use of such.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/16/phosphorus-bombs-video-israel-gaza
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/17/israel-gaza-phosphorus-civilians
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Israeli_military_confirms_the_use_of_white_phosphorus_bombs_in_the_Gaza_Strip
They were tracer rounds. Do you even know what tracer rounds are??? Seems not if you are willing to fall for propaganda about them being "phosphorus bombs."
Yes, tracer rounds tend to contain phosphorus. What do you think makes them 'glow' in the dark? They are used to help guide weapons fire at night, or during times of low light, and they indeed are legal under international law.
Now, put down the copy of Mein Kampf and try to learn a thing or two about the situation. And, if the people did not want schools to be hit, they should not use their schools and kids as shields to launch their Qassams.
Asad,
"This tiny little Israel is the pain for the world and cost 8.4 million Per day to America."
We're ok with that. We spend more a day on paper towels than that!
Asad and Von Dorf: View the following and get back to us with your opinions.
"The True Face of Islam : Amanpour:
Hamas founder's son Hassan Yousef : I spied for Israel"
If the link does not appear just get on
to you tube and do a search of the heading above.
and,
If the link below doesn't work you
can just go on u tube and type in the following title.
"Hamas official reveals where
Palestinians came from"
Assad and Von Dorf: The truth does indeed hurt. It's not easy being cheesy.
Asad: I would agree to stop all aid to Israel if we also stop all aid to Muslim countries (including the Palestinians) and some African countries that are predominantly Muslim.
You want to know the facts visit:
You forgot the website. Go here to learn the facts about the claimed Palestinian blood shed by Israeli:
http://seconddraft.org/
Watch the Pallywood, Al Dura, and Gaza Beach videos to have your eyes opened.
Asad, I AM here and I do not see or hear the BS you espouse. I don’t go into Gaza or the West bank but, I don’t have to if I want to talk with Arabs/Palestinians. They are everywhere and like living (for the most part) inside of Israel with the protections and opportunities they enjoy here. They are free to speak their mind (do they ever,) travel and worship any religion they chose without the fear of reprisal or death. They don't have that In Gaza or the West bank, now, do they?
The poor palestinians, they have all of the arab world and their oil money behind them, all of them calling for death to Israel and yet they still cannot win a war or get their land back? I find this rather interesting. What gives? Can somebody, anybody, explain this to me?
Please allow me to explain; The arab world would love to have the billions coming in from EU, The US and the rest of the world to help the "refugees". If the palestinians actually get a country through either negotiation or war, then they will have to start working on education, infrastructure, the economy, jobs, civil structure, that is not fun specially if no refugees and no money. So, no suppot for the palestinians by the arab brethren, and in the meantime, they have Israel to point to as the bad boy, and divert attention from their own dictatorships - that is called building "nationalism".
"sending signals to each other via Egypt that they would hold their fire unless attacked."
If this is true and Hamas means that, then they will never see war again as Israel has never attacked them first. Don't hold your breath, another muslim lie and stalling tactic to re-arm.
Except for that one time when by UN decree they displaced millions of people and took the lands.
I would hate to live in Israel.
Knowing 500,000,000 of your neighbors want you dead.
Good luck Israel. Barack has your back.
LOL
The state of Israel has no legitimate claim to any lands any where. These lands were gifted after WWII in an attempt by France, Great Britain and the US to hold influence in the area to counter balance Russia's growing presence there. Israel is a parasitic society that would be gone tomorrow (and not missed) if the US would cut the funding.
False. Both the Torah and the Qur'an agree that the land is the place where Isra'il (Israel) should dwell until the time of the end. Jews have had a continuous presence in that land for over 3,200 years.
All that Great Britain did was to restore the right of autonomy to the land for its rightful owners. It was held under control of Great Britain after taking it from the Ottoman Empire, who themselves had seized control of the land previously.
Of course, since the majority of 'Palestinians' also are descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity and to Islam, the same land also belongs to them and they all (Israel both in the form of Jews and of Palestinians) need to learn to live together in their shared land, side-by-side as equal partners. Once they realize that and the Islamic Palestinians actually start believing their own religious text, there could well eventually be peace in that land.
If Hamas is emboldened by the rise to power in Egypt of the Muslim Brotherhood. As a "safety net" that the Palestinian Islamist movement believes presents a challenge that Israel's military superiority cannot easily best and would stop an all-out Israeli onslaught.
Then what side is the US truly on if the very same military power of Egypt, that is funded by the US, is the protector of those who attack a country the US is said to so actively be in support of and protecting?
To have US dollars spent in support of Israel to protect them against their enemy Hamas. Who feels protected by Egypt, also supported by US dollars, is a conflict of interest for the US. It is all so a misuse of the military support Egypt has been given to insure stability in the region.
If Egypt is going to protect those that attack Israel then the US is just as guilty in the attack of Israel if the support of Egypt's military is continued.