Gaza: many Israelis believe attack was justified, but ended too soon

Vita Bekker, Foreign Correspondent

TEL AVIV // Few Israelis today have qualms about the high death toll inflicted by their country’s assault on the Gaza Strip last year.

But even though many Israelis still believe the 22-day onslaught, which ended on January 18, was justified in a bid to curb Hamas rocket fire on their country’s southern communities, some have begun to question whether the attack achieved its goals. They say the military campaign ended too early and warn that another offensive may be necessary to complete the job.

Zvika Fogel, who was a top military official in the army’s southern command during the Gaza operation, said the attacks had not been sufficient to halt the more than 200 rockets and mortar shells that had been fired from Gaza on Israel in the past year, as well as the thousands of tons of explosives and weapons smuggled through tunnels into the enclave.

Furthermore, he added, Hamas appears more powerful today because it is still holding in captivity the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was taken hostage more than three years ago. Indeed, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on a prisoner exchange have so far produced few tangible results, and this week Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said there is no deal and “it is not at all clear to me if there will be one”...

read on:
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091230/FOREIGN/712299924/1011

Maybe it will work if we do it enough?
:sarcasm:

the americans got our back.

also I am not clear to the claim of 200 rockets in the past year is that since 12/30/08 or since 1/18/09?