Israel Will Retaliate Against Rockets From Gaza

**SilentObserver** · 12-29-2006

JERUSALEM, Dec. 27 — A day after two teenage boys were badly wounded by a rocket fired from Gaza, Israel ordered the military on Wednesday to resume attacks on Palestinians firing such rockets.

The order was issued a month after a cease-fire was declared between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza. The Palestinians promised to stop rocket fire on Nov. 26, and the Israelis promised not to carry out military activities inside Gaza.

But as of Wednesday night, according to the Israeli Army, 66 rockets had been launched toward Israel since then and 52 had landed there. The ruling militant group Hamas said it was respecting the cease-fire but was doing nothing to stop other militant groups, like Islamic Jihad and Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, which is linked to Fatah, Hamas’s rival.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel, encouraged by the United States to support the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, and to restart talks with the Palestinians, had ordered the military not to respond, but political pressure to do so was growing. Mr. Olmert was being criticized from the left by his own defense minister, Amir Peretz of the Labor Party, and from the right by Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Likud.

That pressure heightened overnight, when a Qassam rocket launched by Islamic Jihad hit two 14-year-old boys walking home in Sderot, an Israeli border town. The youths were taken to a hospital in Ashkelon. One, Adir Ghasad, was in critical but stable condition, peppered with shrapnel, the hospital said; the other, Matan Cohen, was in serious condition. Matan had been injured once before by Qassam shrapnel, his friends told Israeli news media.

So on Wednesday morning Mr. Olmert ordered the military, including the air force, to resume action against those firing the rockets. The military will be permitted to strike before, while or after rockets are launched.

The military will not, however, be allowed to fire shells into open areas near the border to deter rocket-launching teams from entering them. Errant Israeli shells, usually from tanks or artillery, have in the past hit houses and other populated areas, killing uninvolved civilians. Nor will the air force be allowed to bomb weapons caches or individuals not involved in rocket firing.

Mr. Olmert said in a statement that otherwise, “Israel will continue to maintain the cease-fire and work with the Palestinian Authority so that immediate steps are taken to halt the Qassam firings.”

The cease-fire was intended to break the cycle of violence, but Palestinian rocket fire continued intermittently. Islamic Jihad and Al Aksa — which supposedly is loyal to Mr. Abbas, who has opposed the rocket fire as counterproductive — say they are responding to Israeli military actions in the occupied West Bank, an area not part of the truce.

Mr. Abbas had said that he had the agreement of all Palestinian factions for the cease-fire, but Islamic Jihad, largely directed by Iran, has never respected such an agreement, and on Wednesday threatened to increase the rocket fire.

The Hamas government spokesman, Ghazi Hamad, criticized the Israeli decision as aggression, but he added, “We still believe this agreement is alive, and both sides should respect this agreement because it is in the interest of our people.”

A Labor Party minister and former defense minister, Benjamin Eliezer, told Israel Radio: “We cannot restrain ourselves anymore. It’s good that we did, because the entire world saw that we did above and beyond, but we cannot turn an entire town into a graveyard.”

Mr. Netanyahu called on the government to take over northern Gaza and occupy the areas from which rockets are fired and to take control over the border of Gaza with Egypt to stop arms smuggling.

The Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, was in a snowy Jerusalem on Wednesday preparing for a summit meeting on Jan. 4 in Sharm el-Sheik, an Egyptian Red Sea resort, between Mr. Olmert and President Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt has been trying to advance talks with the Palestinians and to secure the release of an Israeli soldier, Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who was captured in June, in return for more than 1,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails.

“We oppose the Qassam attacks on Israel,” Mr. Aboul Gheit said. “We hope that Israel will continue to show restraint. We need to continue with the peace process because that is the way to progress.”

Mr. Abbas was in Cairo on Wednesday, where he met with Mr. Mubarak.

He said after the meeting that when he met with Mr. Olmert on Saturday night, he proposed what he described as backdoor meetings with Mr. Olmert, The Associated Press reported.

“It is the right time to talk,” Mr. Abbas told reporters. “We have the idea of a backdoor channel between us and the Israelis, with the participation of one or all members of the quartet to discuss all the issues of the final status,” he said. The quartet members are the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, which oversee the peace efforts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/28/wo...el&oref=slogin

The Hamas government spokesman, Ghazi Hamad, criticized the Israeli decision as aggression

Oh please, self-defense is aggression? They should just smile as Qassams are launched at them?

**SilentObserver** · 12-29-2006

That pressure heightened overnight, when a Qassam rocket launched by Islamic Jihad hit two 14-year-old boys walking home in Sderot, an Israeli border town. The youths were taken to a hospital in Ashkelon. One, Adir Ghasad, was in critical but stable condition, peppered with shrapnel, the hospital said; the other, Matan Cohen, was in serious condition. Matan had been injured once before by Qassam shrapnel, his friends told Israeli news media.

Either Matan is very unlucky, or alot of Qassams are fired into his neighborhood.

**Dawud_uk** · 12-29-2006

hang on a minute...

hamas agree to a cease fire and stick to it, fatah agree to many cease fires and break them repeatedly.

so to stop this state of affairs the US and Israel as well as the rest of the West are supporting fatah against hamas because they believe this will lead to peace...

nope, doesnt make any sense to me at all.

Abu Abdullah

**SilentObserver** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by Dawud_uk

hang on a minute...

hamas agree to a cease fire and stick to it, fatah agree to many cease fires and break them repeatedly.

so to stop this state of affairs the US and Israel as well as the rest of the West are supporting fatah against hamas because they believe this will lead to peace...

nope, doesnt make any sense to me at all.

Abu Abdullah

I'm not sure of what you are saying here. Are you saying fatah 'historically' broke the ceasefires repeatedly, or since the new leadership? Could you post some proof of either way please?

This time around anyway, fatah is trying to keep it together.

I am sure that you agree that Israel had the right to retaliate each time fatah repeatedly broke the ceasefire.

**Dawud_uk** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by SilentObserver

I'm not sure of what you are saying here. Are you saying fatah 'historically' broke the ceasefires repeatedly, or since the new leadership? Could you post some proof of either way please?

This time around anyway, fatah is trying to keep it together.

I am sure that you agree that Israel had the right to retaliate each time fatah repeatedly broke the ceasefire.

they stole the land in the first place and i for one will hold a street party the day the state of israel is destroyed if i am still alive to see it.

and the evidence is in the article you posted, hamas have kept their truce, fatah have not. but the west does deals with fatah and not hamas which i find ironic.

**SilentObserver** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by Dawud_uk

they stole the land in the first place and i for one will hold a street party the day the state of israel is destroyed if i am still alive to see it.

and the evidence is in the article you posted, hamas have kept their truce, fatah have not. but the west does deals with fatah and not hamas which i find ironic.

Are you going to try to convince us that hamas have 'historically' held their integrity when it came to ceasefires? The article does not say that fatah broke the ceasefire. Islamic Jihad and Al Aksa are not fatah, they usually support each other, but are not fatah.

Personally, my street party will be held when Hamas is destroyed. Palestinians will never have peace as long as Hamas exists.

**Dawud_uk** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by SilentObserver

Are you going to try to convince us that hamas have 'historically' held their integrity when it came to ceasefires? The article does not say that fatah broke the ceasefire. Islamic Jihad and Al Aksa are not fatah, they usually support each other, but are not fatah.

Personally, my street party will be held when Hamas is destroyed. Palestinians will never have peace as long as Hamas exists.

yes, hamas keep their word or have so far. like them or loath them but if they say something they mean it and will stick to their end of the bargin until the other side breaks theirs.

as muslims we dont lie, we keep our word. but fatah are secularists, they dont care for islam and dont care for keeping their word. where as fatah might say they will keep their word and have peace in truth they would break it as soon as they found it more convenient.

where as hamas have promised a long term truce, which they will keep to if israel withdraws to the 67 borders and can sign for 10, 20 or even 50 years. this was the position of their late much respected leaders and they will keep their word because they are practicing muslims unless the israelis attack them first and then they will break it as the truce will be over.

personally i think a worse deal with a group of people you know will stick to their word is better than a better deal with a group you must always guard against and cannot trust.

**SilentObserver** · 12-29-2006

double post

**SilentObserver** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by Dawud_uk

yes, hamas keep their word or have so far. like them or loath them but if they say something they mean it and will stick to their end of the bargin until the other side breaks theirs.

as muslims we dont lie, we keep our word. but fatah are secularists, they dont care for islam and dont care for keeping their word. where as fatah might say they will keep their word and have peace in truth they would break it as soon as they found it more convenient.

where as hamas have promised a long term truce, which they will keep to if israel withdraws to the 67 borders and can sign for 10, 20 or even 50 years. this was the position of their late much respected leaders and they will keep their word because they are practicing muslims unless the israelis attack them first and then they will break it as the truce will be over.

personally i think a worse deal with a group of people you know will stick to their word is better than a better deal with a group you must always guard against and cannot trust.

Historically, Hamas has broken their word again and again.

as muslims we dont lie

Correction: as muslims you are not supposed to lie. I have been lied to many times by muslims, as much as by any other person.
Most people that support Hamas don't give a hoot for palestinians, they only care that they thumb thier noses at Israel. People that care for palestinians want to see the violence end, and everybody knows that Hamas will not do that.
To quote a muslim member of this forum;

Not every Palestinian is a war mongering, iranian puppet like hamas. Some actually want Palestinians to get a state like Fatah and do not want another 100 years of war and suffering so extremists can continue there "war".

Originally Posted by Dawud_uk

they stole the land in the first place

There never was a palestinian state.

**Dawud_uk** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by SilentObserver

Historically, Hamas has broken their word again and again.
Correction: as muslims you are not supposed to lie. I have been lied to many times by muslims, as much as by any other person.
Most people that support Hamas don't give a hoot for palestinians, they only care that they thumb thier noses at Israel. People that care for palestinians want to see the violence end, and everybody knows that Hamas will not do that.
To quote a muslim member of this forum;

There never was a palestinian state.

have you ever been lied to by me?
when have hamas lied, as you often say yourself where is the evidence for that?

and you are right there was never a state called palestine, it was part of al-sham, the islamically governed region including syria and lebonon and when the kalafate returns it will most likely return to that state.

what happens to the jews when the kalafate returns is largely determined by their actions now, i would like them to pay reperations for the damage done and lives destroyed and pay jiziyah for continuing to live there but the state known of israel, a seperate entity will be gone and i have apsolute faith in that taking place.

Abu Abdullah

**SilentObserver** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by Dawud_uk

have you ever been lied to by me?
when have hamas lied, as you often say yourself where is the evidence for that?

and you are right there was never a state called palestine, it was part of al-sham, the islamically governed region including syria and lebonon and when the kalafate returns it will most likely return to that state.

what happens to the jews when the kalafate returns is largely determined by their actions now, i would like them to pay reperations for the damage done and lives destroyed and pay jiziyah for continuing to live there but the state known of israel, a seperate entity will be gone and i have apsolute faith in that taking place.

Abu Abdullah

have you ever been lied to by me?

I don't know, you tell me. And your questions distracts from what you were saying. You offered that "muslims don't lie", as a supporting arguement, not "I don't lie".

when have hamas lied, as you often say yourself where is the evidence for that?

Look it up, you made no effort to back your claims when I asked. Besides, it is common knowledge. Just look up any agreement with Israel that Hamas was party to, or obligated under, and you will find them breaking their word.

and i have apsolute faith in that taking place

.
Well, good luck with that. Just don't hold your breath.

**Dawud_uk** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by SilentObserver

I don't know, you tell me. And your questions distracts from what you were saying. You offered that "muslims don't lie", as a supporting arguement, not "I don't lie".

Look it up, you made no effort to back your claims when I asked. Besides, it is common knowledge. Just look up any agreement with Israel that Hamas was party to, or obligated under, and you will find them breaking their word.
.
Well, good luck with that. Just don't hold your breath.

lol,

the crusader kingdoms were in the middle east for 150 years and you would expect the muslims to give up after a little over 50 years of zionist occupation.

we are a patient people and victory will come eventually.

**ManchesterFolk** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by Dawud_uk

and the evidence is in the article you posted, hamas have kept their truce, fatah have not. but the west does deals with fatah and not hamas which i find ironic.

hamas agree to a cease fire and stick to it, fatah agree to many cease fires and break them repeatedly.

The Rockets were fired by a group that Hamas funds. Hamas has not kept the cease fire because they are funding other sub groups to fire rockets and now Israel like any country has a right to protect itself.

they stole the land in the first place and i for one will hold a street party the day the state of israel is destroyed if i am still alive to see it.

How naive and single minded. Jewish artifacts found in Israel date back farther than any Arab prescnse in the Holy Land. Do you think Arabs began living in Isral one day, or came out of the sea or something??? Of course not, Muslims have stole land/conquered land to. How do you think it came under there control in the first place???

the crusader kingdoms were in the middle east for 150 years and you would expect the muslims to give up after a little over 50 years of zionist occupation.

we are a patient people and victory will come eventually.

Did the Crusaders have a button that could launch hundreds of Nukes into the air if they were being overurn effectivly destroying or "wiping off the map" just about every "Islamic State".

Crusaders did not have the technology there are these days.

**Dawud_uk** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by ManchesterFolk

The Rockets were fired by a group that Hamas funds. Hamas has not kept the cease fire because they are funding other sub groups to fire rockets and now Israel like any country has a right to protect itself.

How naive and single minded. Jewish artifacts found in Israel date back farther than any Arab prescnse in the Holy Land. Do you think Arabs began living in Isral one day, or came out of the sea or something??? Of course not, Muslims have stole land/conquered land to. How do you think it came under there control in the first place???

Did the Crusaders have a button that could launch hundreds of Nukes into the air if they were being overurn effectivly destroying or "wiping off the map" just about every "Islamic State".

Crusaders did not have the technology there are these days.

you truly are ignorant, these groups are linked to fatah not hamas. tell me do all arabs look the same to you?

**Keltoi** · 12-29-2006

I hope that when another election is held in the Palestinian territories, Fatah will be put back in power. While Abbas is far from perfect, he seemed to be much more dedicated to improving the lives of Palestinians than Hamas seems to be. I also find it somewhat perplexing that Hamas fires rockets from Gaza on a routine basis, and then condemns Israel for its violent reaction to it.

**ManchesterFolk** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by Dawud_uk

you truly are ignorant, these groups are linked to fatah not hamas. tell me do all arabs look the same to you?

No, but the attacks have been claimed by the group known as: "Islamic Jihad". If you did not know, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) are Islamic extremist terrorist organizations that call for the eradication of Israel. Hamas and Islamic Jihad will often work together and make statements in unison like when they both make declarations together (CLICK FOR EXAMPLE). Arafat and his Fatah party have often been against Islamic Jihad and Hamas members sometimes arresting them because of attacks on Fatah supporters as well as innocent Israeli citizens.

Correct me if I am wrong but are both not based in Syria as well? Hmmm....

**Dawud_uk** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by ManchesterFolk

No, but the attacks have been claimed by the group known as: "Islamic Jihad". If you did not know, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) are Islamic extremist terrorist organizations that call for the eradication of Israel. Hamas and Islamic Jihad will often work together and make statements in unison like when they both make declarations together (CLICK FOR EXAMPLE). Arafat and his Fatah party have often been against Islamic Jihad and Hamas members sometimes arresting them because of attacks on Fatah supporters as well as innocent Israeli citizens.

Correct me if I am wrong but are both not based in Syria as well? Hmmm....

yeah and the black panther movement and the kkk are both based in the US, coincidence? well some people might say so but i have my doubts.

they are two entirely seperate movements with differing goals, islamic jihad doesnt support a truce, hamas does on the correct terms.

**snakelegs** · 12-29-2006

will these people ever learn?
the palestinians kill some israelis, then the israelis kill some pals (usually many more), for which the pals kill some more israelis, then the israelis kill even more pals, so the pals kill a few more israelis which cause the israelis to kill a bunch more palestinians and destroy a bunch of houses while they're at it, for which...... and on and on and on.
it has never worked. it will never work.
where will it end?

**Yaqub Sulayman** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by snakelegs

will these people ever learn?
the palestinians kill some israelis, then the israelis kill some pals (usually many more), for which the pals kill some more israelis, then the israelis kill even more pals, so the pals kill a few more israelis which cause the israelis to kill a bunch more palestinians and destroy a bunch of houses while they're at it, for which...... and on and on and on.
it has never worked. it will never work.
where will it end?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6215769.stm

Looks like the Israelis are the bigger problem.

**SilentObserver** · 12-29-2006

Originally Posted by Dawud_uk

, islamic jihad doesnt support a truce, hamas does on the correct terms.

No, actually they don't. They are dedicated to the destruction of Israel, and any truce would simply be a strategic move by Hamas.

From the Hamas Charter:

There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors.

Seems clear.

Another one from the charter;

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.

And a few more from the charter;

The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up.

After Palestine, the Zionists aspire to expand from the Nile to the Euphrates. When they will have digested the region they overtook, they will aspire to further expansion, and so on. Their plan is embodied in the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion", and their present conduct is the best proof of what we are saying.

The entire charter is a series of hateful statements about Israel, and to summarize calls for the creation of the Palestinian state by the destruction of Israel.
It is very clear. There is no possibility that Hamas will ever rest until Israel is destroyed.