Monday, 12 January 2009Jerusalem - Ma’an Report - The Israeli government concluded its weekly cabinet session on Sunday, where officials discussed the third week of its ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip.
Following the session, Secretary Obid Yehezkel brought assembled reporters to laughter with a few contemptuous remarks, according to press on the scene in Jerusalem.
Drawing laughter from the crowd, Yehezkel insisted that "Hamas of Damascus is isolated, Hamas of Gaza is paralyzed, Hamas's Al-Qassam (Brigades) is astonished (and) Hamas of the government is ill."
Several Israeli journalists present burst out laughing after the conclusion of his remarks.
Yehezkel said that the government had just listened to two reports, the first of which was presented by Amos Yedlen, head of the Military Intelligence, and a second presented by Youval Diskin, head of Shebak.
Quoting an Israeli intelligence report, the secretary said that “Hamas was wrong in its estimation when they calculated that Israel would not dare to carry out a war and is currently wrong by thinking that Israel is afraid of the land war."
"We know that the Hamas leadership will not raise the white flag, but it made and is making many strategic mistakes; among them (are) three important ones:
"Firstly, they did not expect Israel’s response; secondly, they did not expect the ground war (and) thirdly, they did not take into consideration that the world would be silent and allow Israel to wage this war."
Intelligence Minister Yelden added that “Hamas is focusing on the power of the rockets, but we hit the tunnels to cut off weapons; Hamas's leadership is searching for a ladder to step down with dignity out of this war.”
The minister than proceeded to say that "Hamas is oppressing Gaza's residents and is using them as human shields; it is also planting explosives in schools and classrooms."
Youval Diskin, head of Israel's intelligence unit for the occupied Palestinian territories, Shabak, said that “Hamas fired 500 rockets and 200 mortars since the beginning of the war."
Israel originally expected that Hamas would fire 100 to 200 rockets and thousands of mortars daily.
He went on to say that “Hamas was wrong when it thought that Syria, Hezballah or Iran would rush to help them; they did not."
"Hamas is in big trouble; its government was hit, people’s criticism of it has increased and its leaders are hiding in the hospitals and foreign consulates," he claimed.
Shabak had gambled that the war on Hamas would be weakened as a result of Israel's destruction in Gaza.
"The Al-Qassam Brigades came under heavy fire in northern Gaza, where fighters, storehouses, tunnels and transportation, as well as field leaders, were destroyed," he said.
Israel is also "paralyzing smuggling through Rafah; the tunnels' owners do not sleep in their homes," Diskin bragged.
Diskin claimed that Hamas had killed dozens of Fatah members "in cold blood," and maintained that its leadership woujld attempt to "tempt" Israel into a ceasefire to "ensure them dignity."
Political analysts on Israeli television explained these and other statements, noting that Israel intends to resume fighting until their objectives are realized.
***Nasser Laham is Ma'an News Agency's chief editor. This report was originally written in Arabic and translated and edited into English by the English Desk in Bethlehem. |
Monday, 12 January 2009
Ma'an News
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