GAZA: ARMY LEAVES JABALIYA, HAMAS CELEBRATES VICTORY
(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, MARCH 3 - The Israeli military
operation launched on Friday night in the refugee camp of
Jabaliya, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, ended today at
dawn, with 76 Palestinians, among them civilians and children,
and two Israeli soldiers killed. The total number of Palestinian
victims in the past six days of clashes in Gaza reached 111.
The Givati Brigade units withdrew to the area of the martyrs'
cemetery, near the barrier on the border between Gaza and Israel
where they normally stay. From this position they can easily
launch new raids at any time.
A few hours after the pullout Palestinian militants resumed
the rocket attacks against the Israeli cities of Sderot and
Asqhelon. Thus, Hamas could claim victory, presenting the
Israeli withdrawal as an escape. Thousands of Palestinians took
to the streets in the towns of the Gaza Strip and in the refugee
camp of Jabaliya to celebrate.
"The entrance of Israeli armoured vehicles in the territory
of the Strip does not require a breakthrough operation as was
the case in south Lebanon and this is because technically our
units are already beyond the border line, staying on Palestinian
territory without intervening," an Israeli military source told
ANSA.
"The end of this action does not mean that operations cannot
be carried out soon: that is why Hamas' victory claims are
inopportune and they know that very well," the source added.
The confirmation that there is no withdrawal, just an
operation ended waiting for a new one to be launched, also came
from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Speaking at the parliamentary
foreign affairs and defence committee, Olmert said that Israel
has two main objectives: put an end to the launch of rockets
from Gaza towards Negev and weakening the Hamas regime, and this
implies new military operations to be carried out.
Olmert said on the other hand that Israel plans to continue
the peace talks "with the pragmatic Palestinians", that is
with PNA of Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) who two days ago froze all
relations with the Jewish state. That action was enough in order
to make the tension of the Gaza Strip overflow in the entire
West Bank where also today there were many protests in support
of Gaza and incidents between Palestinian protesters and Israeli
police forces.
In that atmosphere the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, who will arrive in Jerusalem on Wednesday, is
expected with anxiety. Today began the mission of EU's foreign
policy chief Javier Solana. (ANSAmed).
2008-03-03 13:53