[Jerusalem Report] Ehud Ya'ari - Hamas' fighting prowess has hardly inspired awe. Hamas was not fighting in the areas penetrated by the IDF, even though its defensive doctrine - drawn up under Iranian supervision with the assistance of Hizbullah - is based on an attempt to stop the IDF's infantry brigades outside of Gaza City, or at least to detain them. Hamas abandoned the heart of "Kassamland" - the areas surrounding Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Atatra - almost without resistance. The offensive array of bunkers and tunnels, booby-trapped buildings prepared for detonation from afar, and all the other tricks adopted by Hamas were captured intact. From the perspective of the people of Gaza, Hamas simply abandoned the arena and fled into the crowded neighborhoods. Once there, Hamas fighters hurriedly shed their uniforms. Many of them simply deserted and returned to their families.
2009-01-19 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive