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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Defense officials skeptical of truce |
| 2006-11-27 |
| While Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made it clear Sunday that he would give the Palestinians a grace period to implement the cease-fire agreement, high-ranking defense officials expressed skepticism that the truce would last, saying it was just a matter of time before the IDF returned to combat terrorism in the Gaza Strip. "It is fragile and unstable," a senior defense official involved in the talks with the Palestinians told The Jerusalem Post when describing the truce. "It is more problematic than reliable." At 6 a.m. Sunday, a cease-fire obtained Saturday night in a phone call between Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas went into effect with the complete withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip. Palestinian armed organization did not immediately hold up their end of the bargain and 11 Kassam rockets struck the western Negev throughout the morning. By 10 a.m., however, the Gaza front was quiet. "I took into account the fact that a cease-fire is not something that is fully implemented immediately, without any violations," Olmert said at a ceremony inaugurating a new high school in Rahat, a few hours after the first post-cease-fire Kassam rockets slammed into Sderot. Despite a realization that there would be violations, Olmert said he asked Defense Minister Amir Peretz to withdraw the IDF units from the Gaza Strip, something that was done early Sunday morning. "While there are still Palestinian violations of the cease-fire, I have instructed our security forces to refrain from responding, to show restraint and to give this cease-fire a chance to go into full, practical and comprehensive effect, in accordance with the commitment made yesterday by PA Chairman Abu-Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas]," Olmert said. Israel, he said, "will not miss this opportunity, but rather contribute to and strengthen this opportunity, in order to be able to move forward." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 further information showed that 11 rockets were fired toward Israel; 2 reached outside the Gaza border |
| Posted by: mhw 2006-11-27 16:34 |