[Ha'aretz] Aluf Benn - The international community, headed by the U.S. and Egypt, is giving Israel time to carry out the ground offensive in Gaza, so it will severely damage Hamas' regime. The rationale behind such a move is that a weakened Hamas would improve the chances of achieving a stable agreement in Gaza once the fighting subsides. According to sources in the U.S., President Bush has intercepted an initiative by Secretary of State Rice and British Foreign Secretary Miliband to formulate a cease-fire draft. One source said Bush instructed the State Department to refrain from action in the matter. According to officials, the U.S. and Israel are cooperating diplomatically on the issue.
2009-01-04 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive