Sunday, 4 January 2009The government on Sunday, after a cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, stressed that Israel has no intention of taking over the Gaza Strip.
During the meeting, ministers received security and diplomatic briefings regarding Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The meeting was held at the Defense Ministry compound in Tel Aviv, to enable the defense establishment's top brass, which is directing the campaign, to brief the ministers.
"Hundreds of terrorists have been killed and weapons and ammunition stocks have been destroyed, along with tunnels and rocket manufacturing facilities," Military Intelligence Chief Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin told the cabinet.
"The Hamas government isn't functioning, and the group's leaders aren't serving the citizens but themselves alone. There is much criticism of Hamas amongst Palestinians for bringing on this situation," Yadlin said.
The MI chief also noted that throughout the operation, Hamas has continued to use citizens as human shields.
Yuval Diskin, head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), assessed that Hamas leaders were now less determined to continue fighting, and that there were senior leaders among them who support moving towards a cease-fire.
Earlier, at the opening of the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert addressed the parents and families of IDF troops in the Gaza Strip and said that the ground operation was "unavoidable."
"It is inconceivable that in a responsible and determined country, the home front would be a target for attacks" without its "powerful, daring and skilled army protecting it," the prime minister said.
Olmert told families of Israeli security forces that he had dedicated much thought to them since the operation began, and "more so since the decision on the ground operation was made... This morning I can look each and every one of you in the eye and say that the government did everything possible before it decided on the ground operation. It was unavoidable."
Also speaking at the cabinet meeting, Defense Minister Ehud Barak noted that whilst it was bound to be difficult, Operation Cast Lead "will be extended and intensified as necessary."
"War is full of surprises and difficult challenges but our best fighters are leading the operation," he said.
Previously, Barak updated US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on recent developments in the operation, in an overnight Saturday phone conversation.
Barak told Gates that "the operation will be extended as far as necessary, in order to end the Gaza-based hostile actions against Israel, and bring a fundamental change to the condition in the South."
In another phone conversation, Barak told British Foreign Secretary David Miliband that "we are following the situation on the northern border as well. We have no intention to enter a confrontation there."
"We hope the northern front will remain silent, but are primed and ready for any scenario," added Barak.
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Sunday, 4 January 2009
JPost
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