Israel Threatens 'Harsh' Retaliation for Palestinian Rocket Attacks

[Swede]

Israel is threatening to hit back hard for Palestinian rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Six weeks after the Gaza war, Israel is growing impatient with continuing Palestinian rocket attacks. The issue topped the agenda at the weekly Cabinet meeting, a day after a rocket slammed into an empty school in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned that if the rocket fire continues, there will be "a painful, harsh, and strong response" against the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-01-voa8.cfm

[Duckhunter935]

1. But there is a cease fire, they can not retaliate

[Duke Newcombe]

2. Perhaps Hamas didn't get the memo on that cease-fire, I think. n/t

[ohio2007]

3. but....Hamas isn't firing the rockets...gotta be a rogue fringe group

;)

[ohio2007]

4. unilateral cease fire is an oxymoron

[Vegasaurus]

5. Time for a response

Maybe they would like another bombing campaign?

Hamas and those militants have got to be the stupidest people on earth.

Haven't they wrought enough misery on their people?

They are like gluttons for punishment.

[GoesTo11]

6. Hamas is teaching Israel a lesson right now

Boy are they great defenders of the people. Hamas' continued rocket firing is great news for Gaza. It shows Israel that it will take more force than Cast Lead to stop Palestinian rockets.

[Idealism]

7. I guess this doesn't break the cease-fire, just like what Israel did days after Jan 17th didn't...

Stupidity abound.

[azurnoir]

8. Israel threatens painful response to Gaza rockets

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert threatened a painful response to Palestinian rocket fire menacing southern Israel, suggesting Sunday that the blistering offensive against Gaza Strip militants fell short of its goals.

The rockets "will be answered with a painful, harsh, strong and uncompromising response from the security forces," Olmert said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting.

The fire from Gaza has intensified as Egyptian-led efforts to cement the informal cease-fire with a long-term truce have faltered.

In the runup to the donors' conference, a string of high-profile foreign visitors have arrived in Gaza, indicating a new willingness on the part of the international community to become involved there

The prospect of renewed hostilities in Gaza came at the start of a week of intense diplomatic activity. In Egypt on Monday, the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, led by Abbas, will ask some 80 donor countries to pledge $2.8 billion to rebuild Gaza.

Raising the money won't be the hard part: The U.S. is expected to pledge $900 million, and Saudi Arabia has promised to kick in $1 billion.

The problem will be getting the money into Gaza, a tiny seaside territory that is home to 1.4 million Palestinians. Many of the donors consider Hamas a terrorist organization and won't funnel money directly to its government. Hamas could sidestep that problem by agreeing to share power with bitter rival Abbas and soften its violent anti-Israel ideology. Repeated reconciliation efforts have failed, and no breakthroughs have emerged in ongoing talks in Egypt.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-03-01-13-56-39

[Duckhunter935]

9. that would be a mistake, they should learn to live with it.

[azurnoir]

10. What would be a mistake for who? n/t

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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