Israel rejects UN truce resolution, continues Gaza operation

[StudsT]

Last update - 17:47 09/01/2009

The diplomatic-security cabinet on Friday rejected a United Nations Security Council cease-fire resolution and ordered the Israel Defense Forces to continue its current ground operation against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

In a communique released immediately after the cabinet session on Friday, the government stated it would not accept the UN resolution, declaring that "the IDF will continue to act in order to attain the objectives of the operation - to bring about a change in the security situation in the south of the country - this in accordance with the plans that have been approved upon embarking on the operation."

more...
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1054201.html

and so it goes...

StudsT

[Hydra]

1. Why would they want a truce?

Everything is going peachy for them- they haven't even had to answer for all the attacks on the UN targets.

[Recursion]

2. Israel has painted themselves into a corner here

A truce will probably come, and Israel will be forced to at least partially lift the blockade. At that point, Hamas has achieved its aims in this round of fighting and can declare a (Pyrrhic) victory. It is difficult to imagine this playing out to end in a situation where Gaza is still blockaded; if Hamas still exists as an organization at that point (and militarily I can't see Israel destroying it), they won.

So, for people who keep asking "what was Hamas thinking?", that is the answer. The fighting brought international attention on the situation in Gaza, and unless something very game-changing happens in the next week or so, Hamas will probably get what it wanted.