Israel to Expand Operations in Gaza Strip

JERUSALEM - Israel will step up military operations in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites), including a more intensive air campaign and the possible demolition of hundreds of Palestinian homes, Israeli officials said Sunday.


At the first Cabinet meeting since 13 Israeli soldiers were killed in three separate incidents in Gaza last week, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and military chief Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon pledged to crack down on militant groups, according to officials in the meeting.


Last week's bloodshed in Gaza — which also included the deaths of 32 Palestinians — has strengthened calls in Israel for a pullout from the volatile coastal area. Gaza is home to some 7,500 Jewish settlers who live amid 1.3 million Palestinians.


More than 100,000 Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, calling on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) to implement his plan to withdraw from Gaza and four West Bank settlements and to resume peace talks. It was one of the largest demonstrations by the Israeli "peace camp" in years.

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more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&ncid=535&e=4&u=/ap/20040516/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians

So, is it all out WAR now? :(

It wasn't a good week for the IDF, they need to save face.

i guess the Israeli "courts" are as powerless as i thought . the Sharon government and the idf have their own set of laws now..so it`s quite obvious that the state of Israel is no longer a democracy but a military type dictatorship run by the ulta extreme right parties and the idf.
yes, it is all out war and alot of those weapons were given to the idf by you and me over the years..isn`t that a comforting thought

well established international law including the UN charter. Israel is in flagrant violation of international law, and the UN should intervene.

The intentional killing of civilians (as the destruction of homes will undoubtedly result in the deaths of civilians) amounts to genocide.

UN in! Israel out!

34 minutes ago Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli helicopters fired six missiles early on Monday at an office of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s Fatah (news - web sites) Movement in Gaza City, witnesses said.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the raid.


Witnesses said the helicopters fired at an office in a residential building in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood, where six Israeli soldiers were killed in an ambush on an armored vehicle a week ago.


Medics said there were no immediate reports of casualties because the office had been empty, but that much damage was done to nearby residential buildings and to vehicles

more:http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20040516/wl_nm/mideast_dc