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jpost.com - 12/29/2008

Barak: This is 'all out war' on Hamas | Israel | Jerusalem Post

— jpost.com — Defense Minister and Labor chairman Ehud Barak on Monday said that Israel would expand its military operation in the Gaza Strip until all the goals were achieved. He spoke at a special Knesset session attended, among others, by Foreign Minister Tzipi ... (more) Barak: This is 'all out war' on Hamas | Israel | ...

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jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com - 12/29/2008

Can Israel Break the Will of Hamas?

— jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com — A reader asks. The answer: I don't think so. Maybe momentarily. But Hamas will find ways to regain its "honor." Usually, this means exploding buses. The even deeper question: Can Israel force the overthrow of the Hamas government in Gaza? I'm not sure ... (more) Can Israel Break the Will of Hamas?

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jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com - 12/29/2008

The Gaza War

— jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com — If someone was sending rockets on my house where my daughters were sleeping at night, I would do everything to stop it, and I would expect Israelis to do the same thing. These aren't my words -- they're Barack Obama's. But I attach myself to this ... (more) The Gaza War

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The hopelessness in Gaza-Israel relationship
The Moderate Voice — This is it: As for the Palestinians, they plan to declare victory regardless of what happens. If the IDF withdraws rapidly, without a ground operation and without having seriously reduced the rocket fire, Hamas will boast that it survived and Israel blinked first. But Hamas officials and analysts said Monday that the organization would actually like Israel to launch a ground operation; it hopes this would let it inflict such heavy losses on Israeli tanks and infantry that Israel would flee with its tail between its legs. ...

Israel, Cease Fire
Taylor Marsh — ... appearing. Israel must cease fire. Hamas must be reined in. Unfortunately, the Bush administration has sent the message to Israel throughout the last eight years that Israel’s policy is U.S. policy. This must end. We’ll have to pray that Obama, through Biden and Clinton, can make the break, finally differentiating between Israeli policy and U.S. policy. The U.S. must lead once again, not simply acquiesce to Israel’s every military turn. Meanwhile, Israel plays into Hamas’ hands, even as Egypt’s war with Hamas breaks into the open. ...

War and Piece — Ha'aretz : ....Israel has thus far refused to officially discuss a cease-fire, but in practice it is conducting an indirect and hesitant dialogue with Hamas. As of yet, however, there is no official mediator. Khaled Meshal, the Damascus-based head of Hamas' political bureau, has been calling for a cease-fire for two days now. However, communications with the organization's leadership in Gaza are hampered because all its leaders have gone underground for fear of Israeli assassination attempts, while Israel's air strikes have disrupted the Strip's communications networks. ...

This Makes Me Wonder About a Ground Offensive
Lawyers, Guns and Money — ... ...also see this Haaretz report on the possibility of a ground offensive. Hamas is reportedly "hoping" for a ground offensive; I can see long term political gains in that event, but I really can't see Hamas being able to prevent the IDF from seizing all of Gaza in the short run.

CNN's rather small world
Maggie's Farm — ... reason to protest Hamas terror rockets and mortar barrages into Israel.  This is what CNN calls the world!  Or, is this CNN’s market that it caters to?   Also, see Death to All JuiceAlso, see the view from J StreetAlso, see the Juicebox Mafia on Gaza  Also, see Hamas is hoping for an IDF ground attack ...

Boneheaded New World
Jules Crittenden — [image] « Righteous Noise Facilitation Boneheaded New World The modern battlespace is a trip. Roundup starts with important news of boneheaded meddlers, trying to run the blockade into Gaza, encountering difficulties. Atlanta Journal Constitution :  A boat carrying international peace activists, including former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, and medical supplies to the embattled Gaza Strip sailed back into a Lebanese port on Tuesday after being turned back and damaged by the Israeli navy, organizers of the trip said. The crowds on the docks in the Lebanese port city of Tyre were jubilant and cheering ...

Managing Gaza
Counterterrorism Blog — ... options also do not offer definite solutions. Re-occupying Gaza would require tens of thousands of Israeli troops and likely lead to hundreds of Israeli and thousands of Palestinian casualties. The Israelis do not want to pay this price. It also might not work. Hamas might be able to maintain an ongoing, costly insurgency against the Israelis, which would be perceived as a victory. (Hamas has taken lessons from Hezbollah’s 2006 war with Israel and has prepared and is hoping for an IDF ground campaign.) ...