[Ha'aretz] Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff - A reasonable diplomatic agreement, especially one with the potential to reduce arms smuggling into Gaza, would allow the IDF to conclude the operation soon and withdraw with minimal casualties. Still, the assessment in Israel is that in the present circumstances, Hamas' military wing wants to go on fighting. While the Iz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades have been severely damaged, the loss has not been fatal. The senior Hamas officials are stuck in bunkers under the hospitals. The resistance is based on hit-and-run tactics: fighting that is not very organized. The rocket launch teams are taking care to operate under cover of mosques or densely populated neighborhoods.
2009-01-09 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive