"Israel says it thwarted Gaza rocket attack" by New York Times | November 28, 2009
JERUSALEM - The Israeli military said the air force attacked a group of Palestinian militants in northern Gaza early yesterday as they were about to fire rockets at Israel, a week after the Hamas rulers of Gaza announced that they had secured the agreement of other groups to halt rocket fire in order to prevent retaliatory attacks.
Yeah, WHAT TIMING, huh?
Related: The Gaza Rocket Squads
My Zionist MSM tells me they were Palestinian.
Palestinian medics said four militants were wounded in the air strike, but the Israeli military said one member of the squad, from a small Islamic extremist group influenced by Al Qaeda, was killed. Such groups are rivals of Hamas, but the military said it held Hamas responsible for maintaining calm.
Therefore, ISRAEL SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE for all their CRAZED ZIONIST ZETTLERS!
Related: Hamas Repels Israeli Invasion
Yup, Al-CIA-Duh, yup!
Israeli strikes against militants have been rare since the end of last winter’s Gaza war. There has been a steep decline in rocket fire since Israel’s military offensive ended last January, but the sporadic attacks have continued. Several mortar shells have been launched in the last week.
Yup, nothing about Hamas continuing the truce unilaterally, etc, etc.
Yup, it's always the poor, put-upon *ew under attack. You get tired of seeing the same one-sided bias after a while, folks.
Hamas has an interest in maintaining quiet so as not to upset the delicate negotiations underway for a deal with Israel to exchange a captured soldier, Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit, for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
And CUI BONO?
Related: Schalit Swap in Works
Israel Chooses Settlements Instead of Shalit
Yeah, makes you wonder why Shalit was the World lead, doesn't it
The talks, which have been taking place in Cairo through Egyptian and German mediators, are expected to resume after the Muslim holiday of Id al-Adha, which began yesterday.
Separately, the Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, approved the building of 28 public and educational institutions in Jewish settlements in the West Bank late Thursday, saying they were meant to be completed by the beginning of the new school year in September 2010.
And so it goes....
At the same time, he instructed the Israeli military authorities in the West Bank to issue a temporary order freezing other new building starts in the settlements, in line with an announcement Wednesday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
PFFFFT! An Israeli freeze is like a snowball in hell.
It doesn't last long even if it makes it.
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"Israel to bolster settlement freeze order" by Associated Press | November 30, 2009
JERUSALEM - Israel’s defense minister ordered his office yesterday to triple the number of construction inspectors in the West Bank to enforce a new settlement freeze declared by the government, while settler leaders vowed to defy the edict....
You read this s*** and the first reaction is disingenuous lie.
Israelis mouthing the words and going through the motions.
Speaking yesterday, Netanyahu promoted his construction freeze and the removal of some roadblocks in the West Bank. “It is clear to everyone who observes the situation objectively . . . that Israel wants peace, Israel wants to enter a peace process,’’ he said. “I don’t see the same readiness among the Palestinians. I see the opposite, posing all kinds of preconditions.’’
What an ASSHOLE!! One of the TRULY GREAT ASSHOLES of ALL TIME!!
Related: Israel Intends to Keep All Settlements
But that is NOT a precondition!!!
Netanyahu, addressing a gathering of journalists in the southern resort of Eilat, warned that the absence of talks would strengthen the militant Hamas rulers of Gaza and “their patrons in Iran.’’
Netanyahu’s offer has angered Israeli hard-liners, including members of his own Likud party, which has traditionally supported the settlement movement.
Yeah, whatever. I NO LONGER LISTEN to SHITHEADS!
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And I never expected anything to get done with old Gilad.
"Prisoner swap deal still elusive, Hamas says" by Associated Press | December 1, 2009
RAMALLAH, West Bank - Senior Hamas officials said yesterday that the Islamic militant group is still sparring with Israel over the names of 50 prisoners it wants released in exchange for a captive Israeli soldier, signaling there were still significant gaps before completing the anticipated deal.
Last week, Israeli and Hamas officials spoke of progress, raising speculation that an agreement could be wrapped up within days. Hamas is demanding some 1,000 prisoners in exchange for an Israeli soldier it has held for more than three years. But Hamas officials said Israel is balking at including prominent political leaders and top Hamas militants in the deal.
I was wondering how they were going to f*** up the deal.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the German-mediated negotiations. At the top of the contested list is Marwan Barghouti, a popular leader of Hamas’s rival, Fatah, who is serving five consecutive life terms for his role in shooting attacks that killed four Israelis and a Greek monk. Barghouti is seen as a possible successor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israel is wary of freeing him.
So he's not their guy, huh?
A German mediator has been based in Jerusalem for the past three months, shuttling regularly to Gaza to broker terms of the agreement, a Hamas official said. He said that in addition to the 50 disputed names, the sides are also arguing over Israel’s demand that some 130 people be deported after their release. Hamas wants that number reduced.
I expect nothing to come of any of this -- and you know why.
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