Olmert talks about decisive action against Gaza; Hamas unshaken

Olmert talks about decisive action against Gaza; Hamas unshaken

prime minister of the Israeli occupation government Ehud Olmert has hinted on Sunday that he was mulling taking a decisive decision against Hamas Movement in the Gaza Strip in a bid to stop Palestinian retaliation to IOF troops” crimes.


Palestinian resistance factions have said they were able to develop their home-made primitive weapons and succeeded in making them more effective as evident with the latest missile attack on the 1948-occupied Ashkilon city, in which 15 Israelis were reportedly wounded.


“It is enough to say that we are of full conviction that situation in the south must not continue”, Olmert was quoted as saying at the start of his cabinet meeting Sunday.


He also added that the zero hour for a decisive action against Gaza was approaching, noting that his government was “pondering the options on how to administer matters in Gaza Strip very soon”.


In the same context, eyewitnesses and Hebrew sources confirmed that IOF military trailers were seen transporting and unloading tanks and other heavy hardware at the Erez and Karem Shalom crossing points, north and south of the Strip respectively.


The Israeli preparations were possibly meant to attack Gaza Strip, the eyewitnesses added.


But political analysts opined that the Israeli occupation government was waiting for results of the Egyptian mediation that aims at striking a truce between Hamas and the Israeli occupation government before taking the risk in Gaza.


Palestinian resistance factions accepted the Egyptian truce initiative, but the Israeli occupation government appeared to have rejected by making difficult conditions unacceptable for Hamas and for the Palestinian people, including the unconditional release of IOF corporal Gilad Shalit who was captured by the resistance nearly two years ago.


Hamas rejected the condition, saying Shalit”s case has nothing to do with truce initiative, and that it was linked to releasing Palestinian captives from Israeli jails.


Israeli war and foreign affairs ministers, Ehud Barak and Tzipi Levni respectively, were set to meet with Egypt”s president Husni Mubarak over the truce in Gaza.


A number of former Israeli officials have urged Olmert to heed Hamas”s offer for truce and to talk to the Movement; but according to the 10th channel of the Hebrew T.V, extremist officials of Olmert”s government, including minister Eli Yashai, have urged Olmert to “attack Gaza before Palestinian rockets could reach Bir Sheba city, south of occupied Palestine.


“Very soon we shall take decisive decisions regarding the situation in Gaza”, Olmert was quoted as replying to Yashai.


Thorn in US administration”s throat:
For its part, Hamas Movement said it was not frightened by the Israeli threats, saying it was and still is ready for all options.


The Movement also slammed US president George W. Bush for inciting the Arab states against it at the International Economic Forum in the Egyptian Sharm Al-Sheikh Resort.


“The Movement strongly condemns Bush”s instigation against Hamas Movement, which he unleashed in the biggest and most influential Arab state [Egypt].


“These are unwarranted statements against a faction that was elected by the Palestinian people to rule them in very transparent and honest elections”, a statement issued by the Movement underlined Sunday.


“Bush”s threat will neither frighten us nor will it dissuade us from pursuing the path of resistance and national liberation, as Hamas, Allah willing, shall remain a thorn in the throat of the US administration and its local and regional tools”, Hamas underlined in the statement.