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Why Israel Is Bombing Gaza
[Washington Post] Ephraim Sneh - When rule over Gaza passed to the Hamas government in January 2006, instead of bringing investors to Gaza, Hamas brought the guerrilla-warfare trainers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Instead of launching economic projects, this government launched rockets every day at Israeli towns and villages across the border. They smuggled in vast amounts of explosives, weapons and rockets; they prepared themselves for battle. Gaza became nothing less than a military base for Iran. No sovereign state would resign itself to having its cities bombarded. That is the reason for the military campaign that Israel launched this week. Those demanding a cease-fire must produce a comprehensive solution containing the following elements: Full dismantling of the military power of Hamas in Gaza, including destruction of all stockpiles of rockets and missiles. Transfer of control over border-crossings between Gaza and Egypt and between Gaza and Israel to the Palestinian Authority government of Salam Fayyad. The return of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The writer served as Israel's Deputy Minister of Defense.