Israeli minister warns of new offensive against Gaza
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Pastor Dale Morgan
Sep 15, 2010, 4:44:10 PM9/15/10
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Perilous Times
Israeli minister warns of new offensive against Gaza
An Israeli cabinet minister has given warning of a fresh military offensive in Gaza after Palestinian militants in the territory launched the most sustained barrage of rocket and mortar fire in 18 months.
By Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem
Published: 7:21PM BST 15 Sep 2010
An Israeli cabinet minister has given warning of a fresh military offensive in Gaza after Palestinian militants in the territory launched the most sustained barrage of rocket and mortar fire in 18 months.
An Israeli soldier directs a tank near Kibbutz Sufa, just outside the southern Gaza Strip Photo: REUTERS
The confrontation in Gaza overshadowed US-led efforts to defuse a row between the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships over Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank.
With the argument threatening to derail peace talks, Mr Netanyahu and Mr Abbas met for a second day in Jerusalem to continue negotiations begun in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday.
The threat on Gaza came after Islamist groups in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, fired nine mortars and a rocket into southern Israel.
Two of the shells contained phosphorous, the Israeli military said, increasing the gravity of the incidents.
Although neither casualties nor structural damage were caused, the salvo was the heaviest in a single day since March, 2009, two months after the end of Operation Cast Lead, the controversial Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
Gilad Eran, Israel's environment minister, demanded a reprise of Operation Cast Lead unless the rockets stopped.
"There can be no doubt that if this continues, we might have to contemplate something along the lines of Operation Cast Lead II," he told Israeli public radio.
As a peripheral figure in the coalition cabinet, Mr Eran's views are unlikely to have much influence on Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.
The growing number of rocket attacks will nevertheless present Mr Netanyahu with an unwelcome distraction.
Although smaller, more militant groups in Gaza are thought to be behind them, Israel has accused Hamas, as the territory's overlords, of doing little to restrain its rivals in the Islamist cause.
Israeli hawks like Mr Eran have questioned the sense of negotiating with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, if he can only deliver peace on behalf of his moderate Fatah faction but not with Hamas.
"To reach peace with what is perhaps half the Palestinian people, and perhaps not even that, underscores the folly of this," he said.
Mr Netanyahu said the negotions were making some progress. "We are working on it," he said. "Its a lot of work. I'm glad to have the opportunity to welcome President Abbas and Secretary Clinton here pursuing peace. And I think we should get on with it."
The two men sought a compromise ahead of the expiry of a 10-month moratorium on settlement building at the end of the month with the help of Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state.
Israeli minister warns of new offensive against Gaza
An Israeli cabinet minister has given warning of a fresh military offensive in Gaza after Palestinian militants in the territory launched the most sustained barrage of rocket and mortar fire in 18 months.
By Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem
Published: 7:21PM BST 15 Sep 2010
An Israeli cabinet minister has given warning of a fresh military offensive in Gaza after Palestinian militants in the territory launched the most sustained barrage of rocket and mortar fire in 18 months.
An Israeli soldier directs a tank near Kibbutz Sufa, just outside the southern Gaza Strip Photo: REUTERS
The confrontation in Gaza overshadowed US-led efforts to defuse a row between the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships over Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank.
With the argument threatening to derail peace talks, Mr Netanyahu and Mr Abbas met for a second day in Jerusalem to continue negotiations begun in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday.
The threat on Gaza came after Islamist groups in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, fired nine mortars and a rocket into southern Israel.
Two of the shells contained phosphorous, the Israeli military said, increasing the gravity of the incidents.
Although neither casualties nor structural damage were caused, the salvo was the heaviest in a single day since March, 2009, two months after the end of Operation Cast Lead, the controversial Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
Gilad Eran, Israel's environment minister, demanded a reprise of Operation Cast Lead unless the rockets stopped.
"There can be no doubt that if this continues, we might have to contemplate something along the lines of Operation Cast Lead II," he told Israeli public radio.
As a peripheral figure in the coalition cabinet, Mr Eran's views are unlikely to have much influence on Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.
The growing number of rocket attacks will nevertheless present Mr Netanyahu with an unwelcome distraction.
Although smaller, more militant groups in Gaza are thought to be behind them, Israel has accused Hamas, as the territory's overlords, of doing little to restrain its rivals in the Islamist cause.
Israeli hawks like Mr Eran have questioned the sense of negotiating with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, if he can only deliver peace on behalf of his moderate Fatah faction but not with Hamas.
"To reach peace with what is perhaps half the Palestinian people, and perhaps not even that, underscores the folly of this," he said.
Mr Netanyahu said the negotions were making some progress. "We are working on it," he said. "Its a lot of work. I'm glad to have the opportunity to welcome President Abbas and Secretary Clinton here pursuing peace. And I think we should get on with it."
The two men sought a compromise ahead of the expiry of a 10-month moratorium on settlement building at the end of the month with the help of Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state.
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