Israel kills 8 in air raid on Hamas politician's home

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Israel kills 8 in air raid on Hamas politician's home
20 May 2007 21:47:49 GMT
Source: Reuters

(Adds details of attack, news of second strike)

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA, May 20 (Reuters) - Israel escalated its strikes against Gaza
militants on Sunday, killing eight Palestinians in an aerial assault
that struck the home of a prominent Hamas politician, medics and
a source in the Islamist group said.

It was the first time in many months Israel appeared to have
targeted a figure regarded as a politician of the Islamist militant
group that rose to power a year ago but has been shunned by
the West for refusing to recognise the Jewish state.

The attack punched a hole into the porch of the home of Khalil
al-Hayya, a senior Hamas lawmaker, in Gaza City's Sejaiyeh quarter,
as family members and relatives gathered. Hayya was not there at
the time and was safe.

An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed there had been an air
strike in Gaza, but denied aiming for Hayya's home.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20271081.htm

[Scurrilous]

1. Cabinet okays attacking Hamas, Jihad chiefs

Security Cabinet convenes to agree on ways to battle ongoing rocket attacks from Gaza, authorizes army to carry out assassinations of top Islamic Jihad, Hamas commanders responsible for escalation

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3402506,00.html

<snip>

"The members of the Security Cabinet authorized the IDF Sunday afternoon to carry out attacks against Hamas and Islamic Jihad top commanders, in a bid to battle the ongoing Qassam fire from the Gaza Strip.

It was also decided that the military steps would be accompanied by an international diplomatic campaign to explain Israel's stance to the world.

According to political sources, the army chief was satisfied with the decision."

[ohio2007]

2. It will be a busy monday morning at the UN

wrist and resolutions calling for restraint and all

/sarc

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Lithos]

8. Tara_NM

Welcome to DU and to the I/P forum. Could you please check your inbox and not advance this further.

Lithos
DU Moderator

[Tara_NM]

10. will do

no problem!

[Lithos]

11. It should be there.

Please PM me if you have any questions.

Lithos
DU Moderator.

[Tara_NM]

12. thanks

got it and get your point too... thanks!

:peace:

[bemildred]

4. I am starting to think we're going to get another war out of this.

What is going to stop it at this point? I don't see anything.

[Violet_Crumble]

7. Yeah, it's looking that way...

It's spiralling to a point where I can see suicide bombings kicking off again, and a reinvasion of Gaza...

[oberliner]

9. Send Arab troops to Gaza (Riad Malki)

Multinational Arab force only way to prevent Israeli reoccupation

<snip>

This is the only alternative that would ensure the occupation does not return. It would ensure that the lawlessness and anarchy gnawing away at our society and threatening to destroy everything that is still functioning properly in the Authority will not continue.


The Arab force should be comprised of soldiers from Jordan and Egypt under the flag of the Arab League. Only such force could save our people. This is the power that would bring hope.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3402284,00.html

Interesting Op-Ed piece.

Any thoughts?

[Lurking Dem]

13. That actually sounds like a damn good idea.

[Violet_Crumble]

14. It might be a good idea...

I'd be thinking it'd be met with less hostility than if it were an international force from European countries etc, and it's pretty clear something has to be done or things are going to go from worse to worse...

What do you think?

[oberliner]

16. Seems a little "pie-in-the-sky"

I don't know that such a proposal would be acceptable to any of the parties involved.

If it did get some momentum, however, I think it could be an interesting idea.

[pelsar]

15. its politically tricky....

who would they be made up of?..which factions...and would the opposing factions agree?

Its not a matter of the occupation returning, i find it rather humerous that in two sentences they fear the occupation returning and then complain about their own lawlessness.

and a foreign force would be an occupation force by definition.

That aside, obviously not all factions/clans would agree, what happens when the first palestenian/arab league soldier is killed?

[msmcghee]

17. It would be a serious mistake.

What happens when the Hamas rockets start landing in Sderot again? While Arab military might help keep the peace between Fatah and Hamas I seriously doubt that an Arab military detachment is going to use armed force against Hamas to prevent rockets being fired into Israel.

Does Israel now have to let the missiles keep coming or risk killing armed Saudi or Egyptian troops who may be in the area - who are perhaps even assisting Hamas with better radio communications, spotting Israeli defenses, etc?

Israel pilots can not be expected to distinguish between Arab peace-keeping troops and armed militants on the ground while possibly being targeted by the shoulder fired anti-air missiles that those states probably have in their inventory.

I see lots of opportunity for this to escalate into a wider war quickly.

[bemildred]

18. Well. you aren't going to stop the Kassams without "boots on the ground".

Coulda been the "unity government" doing it, if that had worked out, but I think you can kiss that goodbye, for the time being anyway.

Some sort of "Arab force", as mentioned, might or might not buy you some time. I can't imagine Hosni or Abdullah being real anxious to step into that tarpit. They have enough trouble as it is. I can't image it working as a long term solution. I guess from an Israeli point of view it's better than having the IDF in there, IF the kassams stop.

And if the Kassams don't stop, the IDF is going to have to "do something". I think that within the IDF there are mixed feelings about it, some dreading it, some thinking its great.

It looks like there are "elements" among the Palestinians that want exactly that, although I expect there are a lot of others that dread it.

Once you got the IDF enmeshed in Gaza again, the question arises whether Hizbullah is going to heat things up on the N. border again, whether they can, whether they will.

Then you have to consider what the logistical situation and preparedness and what all that looks like among the various armed forces ...

But it's hard to see warfare being conducted in a crowded urbanized place like Gaza being anything but an ugly business for everyone concerned.