(Ha'aretz) Ze'ev Schiff - It is not in the IDF's interest to become mired in the most heavily populated region of Gaza. Nevertheless, it is clear that the IDF will penetrate deeper into the area around Jabalya. The Kassam rocket launches of the last few days have come from Jabalya rather than Beit Hanun, from which most rockets were launched in the past. Many residents of Beit Hanun reportedly took action against the Kassam cells. It is clear a prolonged IDF stay in the Jabalya area will exact a price from the Palestinians in both casualties and property damage. Following the last withdrawal from the Beit Hanun area, Israel held talks with leaders of the Palestinian security services in Gaza at which the Palestinians agreed to take responsibility for preventing Kassam launches. However, nothing happened, and Hamas once again began firing rockets.
2004-10-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive