DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 12, 2009, 6:46 PM (GMT+02:00) IDF poised for next stage The Gaza Hamas faction failed Monday, Jan. 12, to persuade its Damascus leaders to accept the Egyptian ceasefire terms and was ordered to carry on fighting in the Gaza Strip. It is now up to the Israeli defense cabinet to decide whether Israeli forces stand still on their present battle lines or go forward to the crunch, which means entering Gaza City proper and capturing the Philadelphi smuggling corridor. DEBKAfile's intelligence sources report that Egypt has signaled discreetly that it is not averse to Israel broadening its operation in Gaza. Earlier Monday, Jan. 12, DEBKAfilereported: DEBKAfile Special Report January 12, 2009, 12:46 AM (GMT+02:00) Is the IDF ready for the crunch? DEBKAfile's military sources report Sunday, Jan. 11, after a day of heavy Israeli aerial bombardment and Hamas rocket fire, the two warring parties dashed forward: The Israeli high command poured reservists into the Gaza Strip to pile military pressure on the enemy, while Hamas-Gaza leaders headed for Syria aboard an Egyptian military plane to persuade the Damascus faction to endorse a ceasefire. According to our sources, some action had become necessary after several days in which the Israeli campaign appeared to lose focus. January 12, 2009, 9:55 PM (GMT+02:00) Eight days before ending his two terms in office as US president, George W. Bush said: "There is still an enemy out there who wants to attack America and Americans." That is the most urgent threat facing Barack Obama. On the Gaza conflict, Bush said: I'm trying for a sustainable ceasefire that stops Hamas firing rockets into Israel. "The choice is for Hamas to make. The best way to achieve it is to work with Egypt to stop the smuggling of weapons used by Hamas to fire those rockets." Israel has a right to defend itself. DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis January 10, 2009, 12:39 PM (GMT+02:00) Hamas Damascus leader Khaled Meshaal In an edgy, emotional speech over Damascus TV, Hamas' Damascus leader Khaled Meshaal dropped a bomb on the Cairo ceasefire talks attended Saturday, Jan. 10, by the heads of Gaza's embattled Hamas faction, just when they were on the point of unconditionally accepting a ceasefire. He declared Hamas must fight on until Israel ended its 15-day military offensive and lifted its blockade against the Gaza Strip. DEBKAfile reports concern in Jerusalem that Meshaal may have received pledges from Iran and Hizballah to rescue Hamas from its straits in Gaza. The Hamas leader spoke amid spreading Hamas desertions in Gaza and a senior Israeli military source's disclosure that Hamas has lost 550 Hamas fighters. More about this see-saw development in DEBKAfile's Exclusive Analysis below. Hamas-Gaza bows to Damascus leaders' veto against Egyptian ceasefire terms
More...Israel opts to broaden Gaza offensive to press Hamas for ceasefire
More...Most urgent threat facing Obama is potential for attack on America - Bush in his last press conference
More...Meshaal acts to torpedo Cairo ceasefire talks. Hamas-Gaza at breaking point
Full article
Monday, 12 January 2009
Posts
