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Sunday, January 11, 2009

Sky News: How long can Hamas fight?

This video report from Sky News asks how long can Hamas fight in light of what looks like an Israeli step-up to Phase 3 of the current operation. Let's go to the videotape and then I'll have a couple of comments.

But first, if you have not voted in the last 24 hours, please click here and vote for my blog, Israel Matzav, as the Best Midsize blog in the 2008 Weblog Awards. Thanks.

And now, let's go to the videotape.



I'd like to make two points here. First, as I pointed out in an earlier post, it is possible that much of Hamas' fighting capability is lying in wait, God forbid, in which case the question of whether Hamas is capable of continuing to fight is a premature question that awaits a real all-out engagement between Hamas and Israel. I hope no one in the IDF had anything to do with making this video, because it honestly reeks of over-confidence.

Second, the Israeli government may be getting cold feet about going ahead with Phase 3. Consider this.
"Israel is approaching the goals it set for itself, but we require further patience, determination and effort so that our citizens can feel safety and stability," said Olmert. "The Israeli public, especially the residents of the South, have the necessary patience and willingness - so does the government!"

...

Defense Minister Ehud Barak emphasized that Operation Cast Lead was continuing even as diplomatic options were being examined.

"We are continuing to act in order to restore quiet to the South and to prevent weapons smuggling via the Philadelphi Corridor," Barak said.

"The IDF is operating by air, land and sea and is also exploring the diplomatic channel," he continued. "There is no contradiction between the two."
But most of all, please consider this:
Israel's deputy defence minister, Matan Vilnai, suggested time was running out for the Gaza campaign now that the U.N. Security Council had weighed in with a call to stop it.

"Therefore it seems -- I'm guessing -- that we are close to a cessation of the ground operations and a cessation of the overall operations," Vilnai said on Army Radio.
Am I the only one that senses that Israel may stop this operation without completely carrying out Phase 3?

3 Comments:

At 4:59 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Am I the only one that senses that Israel may stop this operation without completely carrying out Phase 3?
---------------------------------

You're by far not the only one.

Read: The Disengagement War, By Moshe Feiglin

 
At 9:19 PM, Blogger NormanF said...

I hope Israel doesn't throw Hamas a lifeline when its going down... That would be worst possible outcome.

 
At 9:46 PM, Blogger jack said...

criminaly insane traitorous self hating leftist pathetic coward Olmert will fold like a cheap camera just like in lebanon,as long as traitors are leading israel
it will not and cannot win any wars.
the lesson from all this should be,
that before going to war to eliminate the enemy,you must first eliminate the enemy within

chaim

 

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