(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel - Defense experts have concluded that despite the intention of Hamas and other organizations, there would be no dramatic change in the number or intensity of terror attacks. At one discussion, a Shin Bet representative suggested that Hamas has reached the limit of its capabilities at this point, meaning it undertakes the largest number of attacks it can. The IDF defines the wave of warnings about unprecedented retaliatory attacks by Hamas as "unnecessary panic." The IDF was surprised by the small number of demonstrations after Sheikh Yassin's death. The Hamas effort to declare a general strike failed to stir much interest and the strike was not evident in most of the West Bank cities. In recent weeks a number of officers have said that an escalation in Gaza would lead to a widescale operation there, along the lines of Defensive Shield, in order to weaken Hamas and enable elements in the PA, like Mohammed Dahlan, to take control over the territory after an Israeli withdrawal.
2004-03-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive