Hundreds of strikes across Gaza border stoke fears of ground war
From CNN Pentagon Correspondent, Barbara Starr
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak this week about the latest Israeli military moves in Gaza after increased rocket attacks from there.
A senior U.S. defense official confirmed the conversation had taken place in the last few days while Panetta was traveling in Asia.
"They spoke about unacceptable attacks by Hamas and other groups in Gaza, and Panetta expressed the U.S. view that Israel has the right to defend itself," the official said.
Right now, the United States largely believes the situation will remain contained between Israel and Gaza, according to U.S. and Israeli officials CNN has spoken with.
There is a belief that Hamas will pull back its rocket attacks, avoiding a full-blown Israeli air and ground assault into Gaza.
Israeli forces are going after Hamas weapons and storage bunkers near the Israeli border as part of the attacks in Gaza, an Israeli official told CNN. Israel also expects to hit weapons labs and workshops, said the official, who has direct knowledge of Israeli plans but declined to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the information.
The Israeli army is moving nearly a division's worth of troops - perhaps 1,500 to 2,000 - to the border and will move into Gaza if Hamas continues its rocket attacks on Israel, he said, even as airstrikes already have begun. Further air and any ground operations, he said, would be against Hamas weapons and leadership.
Israel says it's been hit by 800 rockets fired from Gaza so far this year. The official said that's twice as many as were fired in 2011 and three times as many as in 2010.
Israel estimates there are still 12,000 rockets in Gaza and that 1.5 million Israelis are in striking range. Hamas, the Israeli official said, can strike as far as Tel Aviv with portions of its inventory. He said that Hamas elements in Gaza fired more than 100 rockets this week.
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All the people have right to live not the buttheads muslims! Raven says it ravenhawk2029@aol.com
Israel is failed terrorist suppressor state israel can never live in peace neither leave others to live with peace they are parasites extra ordinary experts in getting hold of world major economies, army, political systems, complete infrastructure.
It is not that so much as it is a police action.
PALISTINE IS A GREAT PLACE TO NOT BE
I BELIVE THE PALISTINANS ARE CONCERNED OVER A LACK OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMET IN ISRAEL
Please don't support Apartheid ! – Israel only build Jewish-only settlements, after steal it from Palestinians. – Separate roads between Palestinians cities for "Israelis/settlers" only – The Gaza Strip, home to some 1.7 million Palestinians a majority of whom are refugees, is blockaded by the Israeli military behind perimeter fences and "buffer zones"
5 millions Palestinians (Christians and Muslims live behind Israeli borders (occupation) ! Only 1.8 millions have the right to vote(Israel recognize them as Israeli , others don't have any right even the right to move (Apartheid) or build houses or even sown trees. Israel doesn't want Peace, Israel keep killing Palestinians Israel doesn't want to stop stealing the Palestinians land or even declare stop build Jews settlements on Palestinians land.
ISRAEL HAS THE RIGHT TO NEUTRALIZED TERRORIST. THE BEST DEFENSE FROM THIS IS OFFENSE/WAR.
So it has to neutralize itself first.
The land grabber strike again. There will be peace if Israel returned the land stole from the arabs.
STEP 3: LEAVE RELIGION OUT OF IT BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU WILL HAVE TO INCLUDE CARVE-OUTS FOR SATAN
What about the massacre done by israel in Gaza Palestine and Lebanon since many years if Palestine fire rocket and kill 3 in reward israel kill millions many through their air force which are not published with exact figures child of USA@Israel is always busy in massacre wars in Palestine Gaza Lebanon when they get free from them then they start finding more excuses to get indulge in wars with other countries peace and israel totally 2 separate words Finally, Israel refuse to stick to the actual laws regarding land, they constantly victimize Arabic nations, are paranoid as hell, will drag the USA and its allies into a dangerous conflict that could be sorted if Israel was not so paranoid and? actually stuck to the laws instead of thinking it is so superior to everything and everyone in the world. Also religion plays a massive part in these conflicts, when will humans learn, when?.
Starved of justice: Palestinians detained without trial by Israel," states that Israel must end its policy of detaining Palestinian prisoners without charge or trial.
The report said that the Israeli Prison Services punished Palestinian hunger strikers by placing them in solitary confinement, claiming that holding the action was against prison regulations immediate counselling is required for Israeli war monger prime minister netanyahu to settle down the long UN resolved issue which killed many innocent human beings.
STEP 2.1: IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL (W/ TEETH) TO COMPENSATE THE FAMILYS OF TERRORISTS WHO HAVE COMMITED ACTS OF TERROR BOTH PRIOR TO & OR AFTER THE ACT OF TERROR (ANYPLACE).
We should not forget the Zionist Jews stole the Holy Land from the Palestinians (Christians and Muslims) with the backing of the U.K.
Land doesn't belong to religions. As for before the British occupation Israel, it was the Turks, not the Arabs. The Turks may have been Muslim, but they came from Western China. So don't complain if the Jews came from Poland, the Muslims came from a lot farther to get to Palestine
STEP 1: LETS ALL AGREE ON WHAT EXACTLY A TERRORIST IS
It is leadership testing time for Obama to stand up and raise his voice for humanity, justice, fairness, compassion and above all American values telling Israel to enough is enough, and stop all atrocities, massacres, genocide and targeted killings of occupied, suppressed, and faceless human beings. HAMAS and Palestinians are suffering for the last 60 years only because of the blanketed support of the super power. By blindly supporting Israel's atrocities, we have not made Israel safe and secure but very vulnerable for deadly attack and giving false promises, we have not made Palestinians more cowards who can surrender to their occupiers. Obama failed miserably 4 years ago, hope he should not close his eyes and soul and failed again.He received the Nobel Price in advance to show his real leadership in advancing peace in the world, not war, killings and destruction.
John you are obviously completely uninformed! Hamas is a terrorist organization who has been provoking Israel from Gaza for years! Israel is attempting to limit it's response to terrorists targets but the true occupiers of the Gazans, Hamas, continues to use them as shields for there attacks on Israel. Israel left Gaza in 2005 (except for providing it with water and electricity) and turned it over the the PA. The PA was immediately run out of Gaza by Hamas by violent means and has been in control ever since. The only reason there is a fence and a naval blockade around Gaza is because Hamas, a belligerant Islamist Terrorist organization which is formally recognized as such by the US, is in control and they openly threaten Israel at every opportunity. You really should educate yourself on Middle East history before posting ridiculous statements like this.
Please pray for my aunt and uncle and cousin who are visiting the Holy lands. My uncle went into the hospital in Tel Aviv this morning with Pneumonia and heart failure. He is a protestant preacher from Indiana and wanted to see where Jesus walked. Pray for all the people over there that they may be freed from Oppression on whatever side. This is the Holiest land in the world and God is watching with dissappointment Im sure.
Netanyahu started his election campaign with a bang. And dead children.
Nope! Hamas started it for him!
That's true, even OBAMA never trust this vicious liar.
A hundred strikes for a hundred rockets. What are the palestinians complaining about? Hahahahahahahahaha
As long as the Palestinians are willing the war to continue it will continue and more Palestinians will be killed. When the number of dead Palestinians will stisfy those still alive they will ask for peace.
You realy think Palestinians start a war?no it's israel that is testing it's weapons and pounding Palestinian territories with our f16s.its the way they fight with advanced bombers and fighters against unarmed people on the ground.they even fear to start a ground attack.i realy want to see what will they do in a war with a powerful country.
what your saying is is a load of crap, if hamas will give up fireing rocket to israel in every two weeks then israel wouldent have started this war the problem is there alot of ignorant people like you that think that israel are a fachist right wing country but the truth is that for the last couple years hamas have been fireing at inocent people for killing them and then hides after that in schools, but israel on the other hand tries to kill only terrorists and every time we kill an innocent person we regret it.
800 rocket attacks in one year does not sound unarmed
and israel was at war against all the arab world in 3 famous wars the independence war which israel won,
the six day war that israel won,
yom kippur war israel's closes to inilasion thousands of israel soliders were killed but at the end you can say israel won this war at a cost of alot of soliders dead
This is the way Israel celebrate the election of American new President? They acted similar way in the year November 2008, killed more than 12,000 occupied human beings, destroyed more than 3000 buildings, hospitals, schools and utility establishments. Obama remained quite for 3 long months allowing Israel to do whatever she can do using FREE American bullets, bombs, missiles even white sulfate powder. Is Obama is likely to allow once again super power Israel to carry out killings, massacres, genocides and destruction at her WILL?
Fighting back defending Israeli citizens and territory has NOTHING to do with the elections in the US and EVERYTHING to do with the fact that if Palestinians and other Arabs did not like Israeli response to their attacks theyr would NEGOTIATE A BETTER DEAL long ago.
Okay, I take back what I said before. You are not uninformed, you are an i^&@t.
12000 Human beings?????? What????????
It's just target practice for Iran!!! Hahahahahahhahaah
MONEY MONEY MONEY
No matter what you’re feeling are and which side you may support. Firing into any area where children are exposed is uncalled for. From all reports these rocket attacks are Hamas's "the government in Gaza" doing. That's an act of war. Israel is right to respond. Also remember the U.N. recognizes Israel as a state and Hamas as the governing body in Gaza and held directly reasonable for each rocket fired from Gaza.
When Israel assassinate Hamas leader, Israel also killed civilians with him, Please don't support Apartheid !
5 millions Palestinians (Christians and Muslims live behind Israeli borders (occupation) ! Only 1.8 millions have the right to vote(Israel recognize them as Israeli , others don't have any right even the right to move (Apartheid) or build houses or even sown trees. Israel doesn't want Peace, Israel keep killing Palestinians Israel doesn't want to stop stealing the Palestinians land or even declare stop build Jews settlements on Palestinians land.
– Israel only build Jewish-only settlements, after steal it from Palestinians. – Separate roads between Palestinians cities for "Israelis/settlers" only – The Gaza Strip, home to some 1.7 million Palestinians a majority of whom are refugees, is blockaded by the Israeli military behind perimeter fences and "buffer zones"
Until now 4 babies Palestinians killed in last 40 hours by Israeli raids.