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Israel's measured response - for now

Posted: Friday, May 18, 2007 6:22 AM
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By Tom Aspell, NBC News’ Correspondent

Israel has moved tanks, artillery and infantry into positions inside the north end of the Gaza Strip to stop the militant Palestinian group Hamas firing rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot, which has been partially evacuated. Israeli airstrikes have been targeting Hamas military commanders in their Gaza hideouts. It's the most serious confrontation between Israel and Hamas in six months.

Inside Gaza, gunmen from Hamas and its Palestinian rival Fatah have been fighting each other for the past week.  Dozens of Palestinians have been killed.  The street battles have destroyed a unity government formed two months ago by Hamas and Fatah to avoid such clashes, and dampened hopes of peace talks with Israel.     

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is under pressure to respond to Hamas rocket attacks and is fighting for political survival in the face of criticism of his handling of last summer's war in Lebanon.
 
Trying not to take sides
But although Israeli airstrikes on Hamas positions are likely to continue for as long as rockets are fired at Israeli towns, military analysts here say it's unlikely Israel will launch a full-scale incursion into Gaza for fear of uniting Hamas and Fatah into a common enemy.

Maintaining a measured response to Hamas rocket attacks allows Israel to refrain from openly taking sides in the Hamas-Fatah fight, although Hamas has accused Israel of working with Fatah fighters headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Fatah fighters have been losing ground to Hamas in Gaza over the past week partly because Hamas appears to have been better motivated. Western military observers say Fatah forces have fought well in one battle, but that Hamas fighters are heavily armed and well trained.

Israel can take little comfort from two Palestinian factions battling each other for control of Gaza because one day the fighting and the sentiment of confrontation behind it could spread to the West Bank where it would be difficult and costly to contain.

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Comments

Well God Bless the good guy. But it's their problem as long as they stay out of the USA. Let them deal with it themselfs and stay out of our country.

Not our problem Brighton MI. (Sent Friday, May 18, 2007 7:56 AM)

This is the usual practice by Israel. They wait for the a lameduck president, or a president who is busy with pressing matters like war, and then they pound the Palestinians. Nobody pays attention. So what else is new?

James at Seattle, WA (Sent Friday, May 18, 2007 8:40 AM)

Dear Tom, The more I read about the Middle East regions the more I feel sorry for the innocent people that are caught in the middle of the fighting. I hope that Prime Minister Olmert finds a way to bring about some sort of peaceful solution to all the constant battles happening each day. If after all the confrontation ceases I hope there is something left to rebuild and not just piles of useless rubble, because it seems as if it will always end up that way. They have to begin to get along with eachother not just for peace for themselves, but for the world. Please stay safe all who report from the Middle East Bureaus. Peace to all!

Lisa McNeil,Alpharetta,Georgia (Sent Friday, May 18, 2007 8:51 AM)

“But although Israeli airstrikes on Hamas positions are likely to continue for as long as rockets are fired at Israeli towns, military analysts here say it's unlikely Israel will launch a full-scale incursion into Gaza for fear of uniting Hamas and Fatah into a common enemy.” Now wait just one minute here. Wasn’t it ISRAEL that attacked Hamas first by bombing their headquarters two days ago? Seems that not only is the US one sided in its blind support of Israel but so too is its media.

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA (Sent Friday, May 18, 2007 9:22 AM)

Can the Arabs EVER stop fighting for their particular religion under any pretext???? Is peace ever taught in their schools. Their mindset is just so hopeless from my viewpoint!

Mike (Sent Friday, May 18, 2007 10:27 AM)

Forget the faces and forget the arguments...Which side kills the most in numbers. Extremes/evil and Balance/God. Evil is an extreme end. Define evil and you will find your culprit. That is how the lord judges.

Eduardo Rivera (Sent Friday, May 18, 2007 11:02 AM)

It's about time Israel do something about these thugs who fire rockets unto their civilians. If something like this were to happen in America, we would retaliate right away. No one should have to live under such conditions where you don't know whether the next bomb will hit your house. And then these thugs who fire the rockets hide among women and children to make it look like the Israelis are targeting THEIR civilians. How cowardly!

Anna R. Seattle, WA (Sent Friday, May 18, 2007 11:06 AM)

I truly hope that the USA sees how to handle these unprovoked acts from hammas. If we reacted as Isreal, hammas would retreat back to their holes.

Joe Ingrande, St. Louis, Mo. (Sent Friday, May 18, 2007 11:13 AM)

israel should fire bomb gaza and turn it into an inferno. if the arabs continue to press for the elimination of israel, at some point this scenario will finally come to be the end game. same goes for the west bank. of course, israel has to wait for the right moment. another conflaguration in the middle east, an all out shiite-sunni war or an iranian explosion of violence could trigger the opportunity. i don't see any way out. there will be no peace in the middle east for the forseeable future. a much more ruthless israel will have to emerge to take care of business. it's the only language the arab/muslim understands. and the world will spew its venom on israel, but worse can happen to this little country if it doesn't start the dirty work of cleaning up the arab mess. the u.s. is mired in iraq because it doesn't want to engage in a real war, with all its bloody consequences. there are good arguments for the u.s. not to be there in the first place, but once there, you have to fight to win. israel has no choice, its fighting for its own survival. the u.s will leave iraq soon, with a few thousand of its soldiers dead and many more wounded, but israel faces a permanent existential challenge, and its not so far out to consider the option of destroying the enemy in a world war 2 style strategy. i might even add in a world war 3 style, too.

jerry syder (Sent Friday, May 18, 2007 11:26 AM)



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