Israel rules out Gaza raid to preserve cease-fire
Israel has ruled out a large-scale invasion of Gaza in response to a barrage of rockets from Hamas militants, giving a chance for a largely successful five-month truce to take hold again.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert convened his top security chiefs yesterday, and participants said they decided on localised strikes rather than a large ground operation against Gaza militants.
Though the Palestinians appeared to be turning down the heat of the conflict, the military said militants fired another rocket from Gaza this morning, following two launched yesterday. A day before, Hamas claimed its squads fired dozens of rockets and mortars, the group’s first salvos since the truce. Israel said only a few exploded, without causing damage or casualties.
Mr Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the Gaza truce in late November, declaring an end to Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli attacks, including airstrikes.
The agreement has largely held, though Palestinian militant groups have kept up frequent rocket attacks. According to the Israeli army, militants have fired 230 home-made rockets at Israel since the truce, compared with about 600 launchings in the five months before the deal. The rockets have caused no serious injuries since the truce.
With tensions rising, Mr Olmert convened an emergency meeting of senior security officials to discuss a response. But Mr Olmert’s spokeswoman, Miri Eisin, said there would be no large-scale military raid in Gaza for the time being.
“They didn’t plan any operation,” she said. “They decided to leave all options open.”
Senior intelligence officials, including the head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service, have warned in recent months that Hamas – which has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombing attacks – is preparing for all-out battle.
They say Hamas has used the lull to smuggle some 30 tons of explosives through tunnels from neighbouring Egypt into Gaza, and has sent militants to Iran for training.
