Word: palestinians
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...stupidity of launching a ground offensive then a black destiny awaits you," Mashaal cautioned during a speech televised on Al-Jazeera the previous night. Like Hamas itself - a group classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and E.U., but which provides much-needed social and welfare services to Palestinians - its exiled leader is a bit of a paradox. Mashaal, who has been based in Damascus since 1999, preaches a fiery brand of militancy but has indicated a willingness to accept the existence of a Jewish state (which Hamas's charter rejects) alongside a Palestinian...
...Israeli military officials tell TIME that one soldier was killed and some 30 Israelis were wounded. Half the injuries were the result of an Israeli mine-clearing operation that went awry. Other soldiers were hurt in mortar fire from Hamas militants. Palestinian sources say 30 locals have been killed since the beginning of the ground offensive on Jan. 3. That brings the death toll to 485 Palestinians and four Israelis since Dec. 27, when Israel began its aerial strikes in an effort to deter militants from launching more missiles into southern Israel. (See pictures of the beginning of Israel...
...Israeli commanders have emphasized to Israel's foot soldiers that kidnapping will likely be a key Palestinian tactic during any ground war. Early on Sunday in the Sajaiya neighborhood on the eastern outskirts of Gaza City, two Israeli privates from the Golani Infantry Brigade were briefly detained by Hamas militants who apparently surprised them from behind by popping up through a tunnel. The Israelis got away, and the Palestinians also escaped. Details are sketchy, but a senior Israeli military official said the incident was under investigation...
...Resistance has been lighter than the Israelis expected, allowing Israeli troops and tanks to secure positions 1,000 ft. (300 m) or so from the edge of built-up areas. At that distance, they are out of range of Palestinian rifle fire, though still within mortar range...
...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...