Tashah
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Source: CNN.comMilitants fire rockets into Israel after cease-fire
updated 1 hour, 11 minutes ago
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Militants fired six rockets into southern Israel and exchanged gunfire with troops in northern Gaza Sunday, hours after Israel declared a unilateral cease-fire in the Palestinian territory, an Israeli spokesman said. The Qassam rockets were fired into Sderot at 9 a.m. -- seven hours after Israel's cease-fire went into effect. The rockets did not injure anyone, and Israeli aircrafts destroyed the rocket launcher soon afterward, an Israeli military spokesman said.
At 2 a.m. Sunday, Israel declared a cease-fire in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel was prepared to respond if Hamas militants continue fighting in Gaza. “If foes decide to continue to fight against us, then we will be ready and we shall consider ourselves justified in replying,” he said.
Hamas leaders responded, saying they did not consider Olmert's declaration a cease-fire as long as Israeli troops remain in the Palestinian territory. Islamic Jihad, an extremist group operating in Gaza and listed as a terrorist organization by several governments, said the cease-fire was an Israeli decision that will not impact its actions.
Almost every nation and the UN has called for a mutual ceasefire. Since any mutuality between Israel and Hamas seems to be impossible, Israel unilaterally declared an Israeli ceasefire to begin at 2am Sunday local time.
According to Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders however, there can be no ceasefire until the IDF withdraws from Gaza. At the same time though, they provide no mechanism to allow for a peaceful and non-violent IDF withdrawal.
Once again, to the detriment of all Gazan's, their leadership spurns an opportunity to end the violence within the Strip. Not only that, but their leadership continues to engage in the exact same aggression (missile attacks on Israeli civilians) that initiated the war in the first place.
It seems to me that Hamas ideology places more importance on the value of Pan-Arabic propaganda (Our military was triumphant!) than it does on ending the violence within the territory it supposedly governs. The imagined ends - Hamas victory! - are vastly more important than the real means - sacrificing the people and infrastructure of Gaza.
There is no mutuality here. There is no Hamas reciprosity to the Israeli ceasefire. Israel has opted to end the violence. Hamas continues to attack.
Unqualified arrogance and unbounded ignorance. Very sad.