It’s been all over the AP since yesterday. Ehud Barak says he’s ready to go into Gaza in force and clean out the nests of terrorists. But make no mistake, this is going to be a difficult operation. Hamas terrorists have trained in Iran with the same people that trained Hezbollah. Of course, the good news is that means Hamas will be fighting the last war, while the IDF has trained for the next one.
Some pundits even say that Abbas is waiting for the IDF to do his work for him, so he and Fatah can swoop in once Hamas is taken care of.
Barak discussed the possibility of launching an extensive counter-terror campaign in the region with the soldiers: “We know a large-scale operation in Gaza is just a matter of time, but we are not trigger happy… we still consider such an operation a last resort.”
The defense establishment believes that an IDF operation in Gaza is inevitable, especially considering the growing support for Hamas and other terror organizations in the Strip.
Yes, it probably is inevitable. The Hamas leadership went to ground last week, when they thought the IDF was going to attack. I expect they’ve gone to ground again. Funny how their calls for martyrdom never seem to count except during parades.
Alas, an Israeli operation into Gaza. Just another round of the cycle of violence that besets this war-torn land. If only the Israelis would be expansive and engage in confidence building measures.
And no, withdrawing from Gaza or releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners doesn’t count because history began this morning.
Actually, how about finally taking them at their word. Since they call for martyrdom at the parades, give it to them.