The Security Cabinet on Wednesday, after conferring in the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv for hours, decided to continue with Operation Cast Lead, the counter-terrorism offensive in Hamas-controlled Gaza.
Israel has not ruled out the Egyptian-proposal for a ceasefire, but for now, the senior government ministers favor continuing the offensive that in intended to halt rocket attacks into southern Israel. Portions of the Egyptian plan have been deemed unacceptable to Israel.
Senior government officials including Defense Minister Ehud Barak have commented in recent days that while the offensive is moving ahead and progress is clearly evident, the objectives set for the operation have not yet been achieved. This is perhaps most evident by the fact that terrorists continue firing rockets into Israeli civilian population centers at will.
When the operation got underway on December 27, 2008, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Barak stated the IDF must create "new realities? in Gaza to bring an end to eight years of rocket attacks against the residents of Israel.
The cabinet released a statement also thanking Egypt and France for ongoing efforts to promote a ceasefire, indicating at this time, the military operation will move forward. Jerusalem will also be sending a delegation to Cairo to meet with President Hosni Mubarak to discuss ceasefire realities. Senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad will head that delegation. Israel added however that this does not commit Israel to accepting the plan.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority) have accepted the ceasefire effort and the delegation traveling to Egypt will finalize the details. Sarkozy calls for implementation of the ceasefire as quickly as possible towards ending the suffering.
Hamas officials report that talk of a ceasefire involving PA approval does not commit Hamas in anyway whatsoever.
Senior military officials have indicated phase 3 of the plan calls for tens of thousands of IDF reservists joining the force already operating in Gaza as they enter the increasingly dangerous urban warfare operation, seeking out terrorists as soldiers move house-to-house deeper into Hamas territory. At this time, it is unclear if the IDF will launch the third phase of the operation.
(Yechiel Spira � YWN Israel)
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=28489
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