| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Israel-Palestine | |
| Israel revives assassination policy | |
| 2005-06-22 | |
| ISRAEL has resumed an assassination policy against Islamic Jihad militants, a sign of how far a truce with the Palestinians has deteriorated. An Israeli aircraft fired missiles at four Islamic Jihad men in the Gaza village of Beit Lahiya today as they launched rockets into Israel. No one was hurt. The army said the strike targeted the launchers, not people. A government official had earlier said Israel could stage air strikes in Gaza, even at the risk of Palestinian civilian casualties, to ensure its Gaza pullout did not come under fire. Israel shelved "targeted killings" of militants in February as part of a new truce deal. But resurgent violence has raised the spectre of disruption to Israel's planned August withdrawal from Gaza and dimmed hopes for "road map" peace talks afterwards. Word that the assassination policy had been dusted off came with Israeli confirmation of a failed missile strike yesterday. "An opportunity presented itself. Any means to neutralise the organisation are relevant and possible," Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra said. Islamic Jihad has resumed mortar bomb and rocket salvoes against Jewish settlements in Gaza in what it calls retaliation for continued Israeli raids to capture wanted militants. "The attempt yesterday to kill an Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza signalled the resumption of the targeted killing policy," an Israeli security source said. Khaled al-Batsh, a senior Islamic Jihad leader, warned of "terrible consequences" if Israel carried out assassinations. "The calm would thereby end. We will not be dictated to by Israel," he said. Later, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Israel could stage air strikes in Gaza if militants tried to attack departing settlers to try to show they were chasing them out of occupied territory. Withdrawing from Gaza under fire would be political poison for Sharon, strengthening rightist foes who have said the pullout would be perceived by the Palestinians and Arab world as a sign of weakness after four years of bloodshed. "Israel will act in a very resolute manner to prevent terror attacks ... while the disengagement is being implemented," said Eival Giladi, head of the government team coordinating the plan. "If pinpoint response proves insufficient, we may have to use weaponry that causes major collateral damage." Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Israel could respond to any Palestinian attacks from Gaza even after the pullout. "If needed, Israel will return to Gaza after the disengagement for a few days in order to stop the terrorism," the Haaretz newspaper quoted Mr Shalom as telling foreign diplomats.
| |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 Brett, is it possible you could be a little clearer? ;-) Not that I particularly disagree... |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-06-22 23:05 |
| #2 Don't capture them, as you will just have to release them in another, worthless future "peace" deal. PIJ is the worst of the Islamofascists and deserves to be hunted down and exterminated like rats carrying the plague. Kill them. Kill them all. K.I.L.L. T.H.E.M. A.L.L. Hellfires, sniper teams, LGBs, Merkava treads, 175mm shells, whatever. But kill them NOW. |
| Posted by: Brett 2005-06-22 22:43 |
| #1 Sensible |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-06-22 18:25 |