Hamas attacks Israel, Israel calls off truce

[JaJae]

Israel threatens to get tough over Hamas fire
by Charly WegmanWed Apr 25, 12:47 PM ET

Israel on Wednesday threatened a serious response one day after Hamas militants fired their first barrage of rockets into the Jewish state for five months and declared an end to a November truce.

Although Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reportedly ruled out a large-scale operation against the Gaza Strip, a statement issued by his office after top-level defence talks threatened serious action.

"Israel does not need proof that Hamas is a terrorist organisation that has never renounced terrorism... and therefore will not hesitate to take serious measures against those who try to attack its sovereignty by firing rockets on its territory and attempted attacks against its soldiers," a statement said.

"Israel considers as extremely serious the acts of terrorism from Hamas in recent weeks. After briefly adhering to a ceasefire from the Gaza Strip, Hamas decided to violate it," the prime minister's office statement said.

"The army has been ordered to continue its preparations to prevent other attacks against Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip," the text added.

There have been growing calls in Israel for tough military action against the Gaza Strip with intelligence sources warning that Palestinian militants are exploiting a five-month truce to stockpile arms and regroup.

Israel has warned several times in recent months that it would not allow Hamas and other armed factions to strengthen in the Gaza Strip.

"We feel today free to do things that we avoided doing several months ago. Anyone who wants to try us, will get what he deserves," Deputy Defence Minister Ephraim Sneh told public radio before the meeting.

"We are not interested in escalation. We want to do whatever is necessary to lower the level of terror" in the Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday, the armed wing of Hamas claimed to have fired nearly 100 projectiles into Israel in an Independence Day attack as the Jewish state marked its 59th anniversary. The rocket fire caused no casualties or damage.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, whose sister political branch is the senior partner in the Palestinian coalition government, had said it was abandoning the truce following Israeli raids that killed nine Palestinians at the weekend.

It marked the first time the armed wing of Hamas claimed a rocket attack on Israel, despite dozens of previous such assaults from the Gaza Strip since militants agreed on November 26 to halt such fire.

The radical Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is linked to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party, also claimed to have fired four rockets.

Israeli security sources said they suspected Tuesday's barrage could have been intended as a diversionary tactic aimed at capturing Israeli soldiers, as on June 25 when a conscripted corporal was seized in a cross-border raid.

Talks were also scheduled in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday between Egyptian officials and Palestinian armed factions in a bid to shore up the five-month truce that saw Israeli troops leave Gaza and militants vow to hold rocket fire.

An Egyptian security delegation, which is based permanently in the Gaza Strip and headed by General Bourhan Hamad, was to meet representatives of all the Palestinian factions, following initial talks overnight Tuesday.

The Palestinian government has said it is standing by the ceasefire.

Although the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said it fired nearly 30 rockets and 61 mortar rounds on Tuesday, the Israeli army identified only two rocket and eight mortar shell impacts, none of which caused any damage.

An army spokesman said another two rockets were launched overnight and early Wednesday, without any impacts inside Israel.

Print Story: Israel threatens to get tough over Hamas fire on Yahoo! News

So basically Hamas decides to shoot off some mortars in the direction of Israel and takes full responsibility for it. Israel says, we've had enough. Gloves are coming off and we're not going to back down again this time.

This is the same tired scenario of the middle east. Militants attack Israel, Israel responds and many people will focus on them for the blame. This cycle needs to end.

[Stylerod]

Like any of us thought this would last....

[7960]

When are the palestinians going to keep militants from fucking up their truce? Until they pick up arms against militants I'm going to continue to believe they don't give a shit about peace and won't shed a tear for any palestinians who are affected by israel's retaliation.

[motivez]

I like how the article doesn't even mention the attacks as a response to the Israel incursion a week or so ago which resulted in the death of 9 Palestinians.

If anyone broke the ceasefire, it's Israel. They entered the Gaza strip and killed multiple Palestinian's in a military operation.. while I don't agree with firing rockets into civilian areas (Just like I don't agree with Israel's murder of a 17 year old girl earlier this week), this is the Hamas response.

[CrackSeed]

Originally Posted by 7960

When are the palestinians going to keep militants from fucking up their truce? Until they pick up arms against militants I'm going to continue to believe they don't give a shit about peace and won't shed a tear for any palestinians who are affected by israel's retaliation.

Would this attitude also apply to Iraq? The Iraqi people did not pick up arms against a dictator. Do you believe they didn't give a shit about democracy? Do you feel for any Iraqis who were affected by Saddam's rule?

[7960]

Originally Posted by motivez

I like how the article doesn't even mention the attacks as a response to the Israel incursion a week or so ago which resulted in the death of 9 Palestinians.

If anyone broke the ceasefire, it's Israel. They entered the Gaza strip and killed multiple Palestinian's in a military operation.. while I don't agree with firing rockets into civilian areas (Just like I don't agree with Israel's murder of a 17 year old girl earlier this week), this is the Hamas response.

According to palestinians israel attacked the militants. According to israel the militants shot at them and they returned fire.

And the 17 year old was not "murdered." She was shot in an exchange of gunfire between israelis and palestinian militants. Yes she's dead; no she wasn't targeted.

[7960]

Originally Posted by CrackSeed

Would this attitude also apply to Iraq? The Iraqi people did not pick up arms against a dictator. Do you believe they didn't give a shit about democracy? Do you feel for any Iraqis who were affected by Saddam's rule?

I don't believe i've mentioned iraq once in this thread. If you want to talk about iraq make a thread.

[motivez]

Originally Posted by 7960

According to palestinians israel attacked the militants. According to israel the militants shot at them and they returned fire.

And the 17 year old was not "murdered." She was shot in an exchange of gunfire between israelis and palestinian militants. Yes she's dead; no she wasn't targeted.

Anything the Palestinian's do that's not an overtly aggressive action against Israel (ie: on their side of the line) is not something Israel can use a military operation for without being the aggressor in the situation. They broke the cease fire, and whatever happens is on them.

Yeah, it's not murder when Israel violates sovereign territory and a ceasefire agreement, engages people without any concern for civilian life.. silly me. She was just collateral damage that should be ignored because they didn't mean it.

[6SpeedTA95]

Originally Posted by motivez

Anything the Palestinian's do that's not an overtly aggressive action against Israel (ie: on their side of the line) is not something Israel can use a military operation for without being the aggressor in the situation. They broke the cease fire, and whatever happens is on them.

Yeah, it's not murder when Israel violates sovereign territory and a ceasefire agreement, engages people without any concern for civilian life.. silly me. She was just collateral damage that should be ignored because they didn't mean it.

If Israel was fired up on and returned fire how on earth is Israel responsible for violating the cease fire

[motivez]

They weren't fired upon, they saw some militants doing "something" -- they claim placing explosives near a fence -- in Gaza, which would be a defensive action, and launched a military incursion into the territory and killed nearly a dozen Palestinians..

[6SpeedTA95]

Well perhaps both you and 7960 can provide articles showing both points.

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by motivez

I like how the article doesn't even mention the attacks as a response to the Israel incursion a week or so ago which resulted in the death of 9 Palestinians.

If anyone broke the ceasefire, it's Israel. They entered the Gaza strip and killed multiple Palestinian's in a military operation.. while I don't agree with firing rockets into civilian areas (Just like I don't agree with Israel's murder of a 17 year old girl earlier this week), this is the Hamas response.

Even the Hamas Government acknowledged the breaking of the cease fire by the Militant wing yesterday:

The Hamas-led Palestinian government later called for the ceasefire to remain in place.

"The government is interested to keep the ceasefire and the calm and we are trying, through consultation and discussion with the Palestinian factions, to take a position in order to protect our people," government spokesman Ghazi Hamad said.



http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...1-ArticlePage1

[Diamond Cross]

Ha! There goes the blame Israel first theory.

[Diamond Cross]

HAMAS answers to no government, not even their own, so how can we take them seriously?

[7960]

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

Well perhaps both you and 7960 can provide articles showing both points.

Originally Posted by motivez

They weren't fired upon, they saw some militants doing "something" -- they claim placing explosives near a fence -- in Gaza, which would be a defensive action, and launched a military incursion into the territory and killed nearly a dozen Palestinians..

wrong

The Israeli Army spokeswoman said that the men had fired first and that two rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade were found in the car.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/wo...ref=middleeast

[motivez]

We can't take them seriously, they're no better than anyone else and I don't defend their actions

But there's an obvious bias in the way this news has been reported in that Israel launched a military operation in Gaza, killing Palestinians, and the militant factions responded.

[Stylerod]

Originally Posted by 7960

wrong

The Israeli Army spokeswoman said that the men had fired first and that two rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade were found in the car.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/wo...ref=middleeast

After reading this story it seems Palistinians have more to worry about from within than worrying about Israel.

The school blast happened around 5 a.m. on a day when the building was closed for the weekend. Two night guards said the militants tied their hands and initially kept them on the premises before allowing them to move out of danger. According to one of the guards, Atef al-Beheisi, the masked men told him, “We are the organization of Al Qaeda in Palestine, and our swords will be directed at the throats of the infidels.”

The second guard, who fearing for his safety asked not to be identified and who was at another entrance of the school, said the intruders identified themselves to him as being part of the “Army of Islam.”

In recent months, a wave of bombings by people suspected of being Islamic radicals has been directed against Internet cafes, pharmacies, music stores and other recreational centers in the Gaza Strip. Last weekend, an explosion damaged a Christian bookstore in Gaza City.

[7960]

Originally Posted by motivez

We can't take them seriously, they're no better than anyone else and I don't defend their actions

But there's an obvious bias in the way this news has been reported in that Israel launched a military operation in Gaza, killing Palestinians, and the militant factions responded.

of course........israel must have launched a military operation in gaza and killed palestinians and there's no chance militants opened fire on israelis first.

and your evidence is????????? let me guess, your unbiased opinion, right?

[motivez]

Look for the articles from last week, I don't have time to go searching.. I'm sure you'll find one or two that don't frame it with the "Israel can do no wrong" premise.

All I need to do is look at a history of Israeli actions when it comes to entering Gaza and launching military operations on Palestinian territory.

I'm not going to defend Hamas though