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| By israelinsider staff May 28, 2007 |
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Israel should prepare for long-term fighting in Gaza in order to stop Qassam launchings, said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a cabinet meeting Sunday. The prime minister suggested that Israel would act on its own accord, not necessarily taking into consideration Palestinian infighting and if and when Hamas decides to halt fire.
"We need to be prepared to deal with this in the long-term," stated Olmert. "This is a long-term conflict."
"We will not coordinate our actions according to when Hamas starts or stops its fire. Nobody will have immunity," he said, a sign that the government doesn't want Hamas' actions to determine Israeli responses.
Olmert added that he would not confirm whether or not Hamas political leaders would be targeted.
"I have no intention of letting them know what I intend to do," he said
Olmert's statements coincided with reports by Palestinian officials Sunday that Hamas had informed PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that the group would be willing to enter into a conditional ceasefire with Israel, should Israel end all operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
The officials said that Hamas would only enter into the agreement if they received proof that the IDF would halt all strikes.
Abbas has proposed a one-month ceasefire in Gaza, to have the West Bank later included. He recently met with representatives from five militant groups, including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
Deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, Moussa Abu Marzouk, claimed yesterday that once Israel has halted its attacks, "the Palestinian factions then will be ready to stop the firing of rockets on (Israel) and Zionist military positions."
He also stated, however, that the repeated Qassam attacks were "one of the means which the movement was using to resist the occupation by the Jewish state."
Abu Marzouk said that Hamas would be sending representatives to Egypt for talks, but stated that they would not be meeting with Fatah about the PA's deteriorated security situation.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum mentioned the possibility of a ceasefire, but maintained that the group's position remained unchanged.
"Other militant factions are in agreement with us that we must keep opposing Israel for as long as it continues to subject the Palestinian people to its aggression," he stated, adding that, "Hamas considered every means of retaliation as legitimate, as any sort of future cease-fire must be mutual and inclusive of the West Bank."
Ayman Taha, another of the group's spokesmen, stated that if Israeli strikes continue, Hamas "will have no choice but to defend our people. We will not surrender and we will not raise the white flag."
According to Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin, however, the Israeli offensive is making some progress. Diskin cited the fact the Hamas members were considering a ceasefire and also referred to polls conducted in Gaza which show that the Gazans don't consider Qassams to be in their interests, and that they are aggravated with the area's economic crisis.
The polls also show that respondents consider Israel responsible for their situation, and are interested in "revenge attacks."
Haaretz reported that, according to Palestinian sources, Israeli strikes over the last 10 days have killed 48 Palestinians, among which were Hamas militants and seven children; two-hundred have been injured.
The Jerusalem Post said that, according to Defense Minister Amir Peretz, nine of the 59 Palestinians killed in Israel's recent strikes were civilians. |
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