Word: gaza
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Israel wants Hamas to take a simple message from the ground invasion of Gaza that began on Saturday: We're coming for you, and we'll stay as long as it takes. The campaign "won't be easy," said Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. "It won't be short. I don't want to delude anyone." He underscored his message by ordering the mobilization of tens of thousands of reserve troops. The purpose of Operation Cast Lead remains a durable cease-fire that ends rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel, but Israeli officials believe that to reach such...
...wipe out Hamas, but instead to force the radical group to accept a durable cease-fire on Israel's terms. While they hope to weaken Hamas, Israel's leaders are aware that a military campaign is unlikely to destroy the organization that remains the most popular political force in Gaza. Any attempt to do so would require not only a massive invasion of all of Gaza, but also an open-ended reoccupation of a hostile population, a trap Olmert and Barak want to avoid at all costs. Thus, the key requirement for entering Gaza is having a quick exit strategy...
...Israel is also acutely aware of the diplomatic clock, and the invasion will likely be over before Barack Obama moves into the White House. Israeli officials don't want Gaza to land on his desk as a major crisis - in part because they don't really want him intervening in the Israeli-Palestinian issue, but also because they want him to prioritize Iran. Diplomatic moves already afoot by the U.S. and Europeans - and the mounting pressure on Arab regimes, including that of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, to intervene even if their unstated preference is to see Hamas...
...dilemma of Olmert and Barak over how to end the campaign is nothing compared with that confronting President Abbas. He is facing a wave of anger sweeping across the West Bank, even within his Fatah organization, over his response to the Gaza attacks. Many Fatah leaders are demanding that Abbas not only break off the largely symbolic peace talks he continues to hold with the Israelis, but also that he end security cooperation between his forces and those of the Israelis. Abbas can't afford to do that, however. Israel's Gaza campaign has actually strengthened Hamas politically, even...
...Hamas leaders say they're ready for a cease-fire, but only if it includes the opening of the border crossings whose closure has kept Gaza in an economic chokehold. That's something neither the Israelis, nor Hamas' Arab and Palestinian enemies, have been keen to allow. The pounding being suffered by Gaza may force the issue, however. One option diplomats may seek would be to have the crossings be controlled by a neutral force. So, the closing days - however long they extend - of the Israeli campaign are principally about shaping the terms of a truce...