-
-
Related
Israeli ground forces battled Palestinian gunmen in the Gaza Strip, stepping up an eight-day-old offensive against Hamas militants firing rockets into the Jewish state.
The Palestinian death toll topped 500, including many civilians.
Gazan rocket attacks have killed four Israelis.
Here are some questions and answers about the
conflict:
Q - Where do things stand now?
A - Israeli tanks and troops have taken up position around Gaza
City, the largest population centre in the territory of 1.5 million
Palestinians, as well as in north-eastern frontier zones used by
gunmen to launch rockets.
Israel has also bisected the Gaza Strip by blocking a central
highway and shelling a coastal road from the sea. Israel says one
soldier has been killed and 31 wounded by Palestinian gunfire,
mortar bombs, or mines.
Israel's objective, according to a senior military official, is to
stop rocket launches from the areas of operation and hit the Hamas
infrastructure - parlance for killing or capturing the faction's
fighters and destroying their facilities.
Israeli analysts also say the scale of the devastation in Gaza
is designed to stir popular Palestinian rancour against Hamas, to
the point where the Islamists are forced to sue for a truce.
Another goal has been to destroy a network of tunnels to Gaza from
neighbouring Egypt, which allowed Palestinians in the enclave to
smuggle in weapons and commercial goods, circumventing an
Israeli-led blockade.
Israel's offensive included several air force sorties in which
bunker buster bombs were dropped on the Gaza-Egypt frontier,
exploding underground to collapse the secret passages.
Though Israeli officials have spoken of the need to prevent a
resumption of tunnel smuggling, this appears to be a matter for
diplomacy rather than the military.
Cairo could be angered by any Israeli insertion of troops in the
Egypt-Gaza frontier.
Q - How long will the operation last?
A - The army said the sweep would last many long days and that
troops were prepared to push as deep into Gaza as required by the
Israeli government as it seeks a diplomatic solution.
Pressure on Israel to cease fire is likely to grow as casualties mount.
Some international leaders have already called for a truce and anti-Israel protests have erupted across the Middle East and Europe in response to the death of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
In Israel, strong public support for the operation could erode
if large numbers of soldiers are killed and rocket fire
intensifies. Israel holds a national election on February 10.
Q - What's life like in Gaza?
A - Emergency services have been stretched to the limit by the
carnage from Israeli barrages and ever-encroaching clashes.
There is food, but not enough, and frequent power outages.
There is no shortage of water. Hospitals do not have enough beds or medicine to cope with the wounded, though Israel says it is allowing through sufficient humanitarian supplies.
Palestinians cannot leave Gaza unless they risk a perilous trip
through some smuggling tunnel to Egypt.
Q - How might Hamas fight the Israeli ground forces?
A - Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on earth and
Israel faces tough urban warfare in a showdown with Hamas forces
who know their way around the maze of streets and back roads.
That might explain why the Israelis have yet to enter Gaza City. While Hamas says its forces have already inflicted significant Israeli casualties in face-to-face fighting, the military says most Palestinian attacks on its troops have been from afar.
Hamas is believed to command at least 25,000 trained fighters with a variety of small-arms and anti-armour missiles.
Israel does not detail its deployments but Defence Minister Ehud
Barak has said in the past that two or three army divisions - more
than 20,000 troops - would be needed for a Gaza sweep.
Hamas said it captured two soldiers during Sunday's fighting.
Israel denied it. Hamas may be waging psychological warfare in
parallel to open combat, mindful of Israelis' emotional attachment
to their conscript army.
Q - What has happened to Hamas's leaders?
A - Several military and political leaders have been killed in
Israeli air strikes, but most of the Hamas upper echelon went to
ground early in the offensive.
Hamas says its command network remains intact and that its
leaders do not fear martyrdom.
Q - What about Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier held
captive by Hamas since June 2006?
A - Israel, which long balked at Hamas demands that it free
hundreds of jailed Palestinian militants in exchange for Shalit,
says the current offensive may pressure Hamas into agreeing to a
less lopsided swap.
The presence of so many Israeli troops in Gaza also raises the possibility of a rescue attempt.
But Hamas says Shalit is being kept away from Israel's reach and
that the fighting can only hurt his chances of going home
unharmed.
Q - Is a truce still possible?
A - The United Nations, United States, European Union, Arab League,
Russia and Turkey all urge a ceasefire. Washington has insisted
that Hamas must stop firing rockets first.
EU foreign ministers were due to start a peace mission on Monday
and French President Nicolas Sarkozy was scheduled to go to
Jerusalem.
Israel rejected earlier calls for an immediate ceasefire, but its
leaders are divided on what course to take following the ground
offensive.
Some say a formal ceasefire backed by the UN and major powers would be best.
Others say it would only tie Israel's hands should rocket fire continue.
They believe the best course is to cease fire unilaterally but only when Israel is convinced that Hamas has got the message: start up again, and we will hit you again.
What do you think about the rising tensions in Gaza? Share your view on the messageboard below.
World News Video
-
Dangerous rush to Everest summit (1:59)
-
Dozens killed in Syrian massacre (2:09)
-
'King of Romance' competes in Eurovision (1:46)
Add a Comment:
Post new commentfarhatmirza said on 2009-01-21 @ 09:43 NZDT: Report abusive post
Dear Sir/Madam, If and when the information is declassified, it may come out that the connection between 'shoe-treatment' of G.Bush in Iraq and, the carnage if not the genocide that followed in Ghaza, was not, after all, the figment of ones imagination. Regards, fjm
sheildzee said on 2009-01-20 @ 19:34 NZDT: Report abusive post
Please report accurately. Hamas did not "seize control of Gaza from Abbas's Fatah forces in 2007 ...". You rightly state that Hamas won the general election so Hamas did not "seize" anything. Your point about Fatah is superfluous anyway so just stick to the facts - " Hamas was elected by the Palestinian people in democratic elections held in 2006." That is the truth. The power struggle that followed the democratic election of Hama is another issue entirely.
flyer said on 2009-01-19 @ 16:50 NZDT: Report abusive post
Whew, a ceasefire of sorts - obviously the protest of the southland cafe owner against Israeli women has brought everyone to the negotiating table - AS IF.....
farhatmirza said on 2009-01-19 @ 11:42 NZDT: Report abusive post
Dear Sir/Madam, To say that Israel funded Hamas looks improbable, if not ridiculous. However, I won't be surprised if Hamas took a cue of two from Hagana, Irgun, or Lehi. Regards, fjm
philipmcc said on 2009-01-19 @ 10:01 NZDT: Report abusive post
I feel sad enough about the Gaza protagonists each claiming that they are the 'good guys' and the others are the 'bad guys', and the suffering that creates. But as I read these comments I see the same human tendency being acted out. So many claim that their view is 'right' and the others are 'wrong'. This stance is a major factor in all conflict. While that fear-based tendency persists we will go on having wars like Gaza.