Israel declares unilateral Gaza cease-fire
source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090117/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians
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- gaiusfurius
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In announcing the cease-fire, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel had achieved its goals and more.
"Hamas was hit hard, in its military arms and in its government institutions. Its leaders are in hiding and many of its men have been killed," Olmert said.
Israel launched the offensive on Dec. 27 to stop years of rocket fire from Gaza at southern Israeli towns. But the rockets did not stop coming throughout the assault. Militants fired about 30 rockets into Israel on Saturday, eight of them around the time Olmert spoke.
More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive, about half civilians, according to Palestinian and U.N. officials. At least 13 Israelis have also died.
Olmert said the campaign will stop at 2 a.m. local time (7 p.m. EST).
If Hamas holds its fire, the military "will weigh pulling out of Gaza at a time that befits us," Olmert said. If not, Israel "will continue to act to defend our residents."
Israel's insistence on keeping troops in Gaza raises the specter of a stalemate with Hamas, which has repeated that it will not respect any cease-fire until Israel pulls out of the territory, with its population of 1.4 million.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum in Gaza said a unilateral cease-fire was not enough to end Hamas' resistance — echoing the stance taken
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WorldPeaceTV
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kuffar, you wont be satisfied until the genocide is complete...here are some BRAVE IDF soldiers taking a stand against violence:
Many Israeli soldiers are signing this petition
Courage to Refuse > Israeli Combatants Letter
* We, reserve combat officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, who were raised upon the principles of Zionism, self-sacrifice and giving to the people of Israel and to the State of Israel, who have always served in the front lines, and who were the first to carry out any mission in order to protect the State of Israel and strengthen it.
* We, combat officers and soldiers who have served the State of Israel for long weeks every year, in spite of the dear cost to our personal lives, have been on reserve duty in the Occupied Territories, and were issued commands and directives that had nothing to do with the security of our country, and that had the sole purpose of perpetuating our control over the Palestinian people.
* We, whose eyes have seen the bloody toll this Occupation exacts from both sides,
* We, who sensed how the commands issued to us in the Occupied Territories destroy all the values that we were raised upon,
* We, who understand now that the price of Occupation is the loss of IDF’s human character and the corruption of the entire Israeli society,
* We, who know that the Territories are not a part of Israel, and that all settlements are bound to be evacuated,
* We hereby declare that we shall not continue to fight this War of the Settlements.
* We shall not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in order to dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people.
* We hereby declare that we shall continue serving the Israel Defense Force in any mission that serves Israel’s defense.
The missions of occupation and oppression do not serve this purpose – and we shall take no part in them.
- 3 years ago
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WorldPeaceTV
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gaiusfurius
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This is good. Now maybe Israel can salvage some kind of beneficial relationship with the Palestinians.
- 3 years ago
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gaiusfurius
