Israel wants troops in Gaza after truce

[TriWooOx]

Israel's security cabinet is in favor of a unilateral ceasefire in Gaza which will allow its army to remain in the beleaguered sliver.

"The security cabinet is expected to vote in favor of a unilateral ceasefire at tomorrow's meeting following the sign of the memorandum in Washington and significant progress made in Cairo," an unnamed senior Israeli official told AFP on Friday.

Earlier in Washington, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed a deal to provide "a series of steps that the US and Israel will take to stem the flow of weapons and explosives into Gaza."

Israel claims Palestinian fighters use the tunnels at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt to 'smuggle' weapons into the impoverished region.

The tunnels are also reported to be used for bringing food and medical supplies into Gaza, which has been under an 18-month Israeli blockade.

The senior Israeli official said Friday that the unilateral truce would require Israeli forces to "remain in Gaza". The official did not specify how long Israeli ground forces would stay in the Palestinian land.

Tel Aviv launched Operation Cast Lead on December 27 to put an end to rocket attacks against southern Israeli towns.

Hamas, the democratically-elected ruler of the coastal region, demands a cessation of the Israeli blockade before its fighters suspend rocket attacks.

Earlier in Doha, Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal rejected an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire with Israel on the basis that it would not require Israel to break its siege on Gaza.

Tel Aviv had previously set two conditions for ending its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

"We want to end the operation when the two conditions we have demanded are met: ending the rocket fire and stopping Hamas's rearmament," said Prime Minister Olmert Monday.

Despite Olmert's demands, the retaliatory rocket attacks by Hamas continue in the 21st day of the Israeli aggression.

At least 1,150 Palestinians have died during the offensive, while some 5,200 others have been wounded. Meanwhile, at least 12 Israeli soldiers have been killed with dozens wounded.

The huge number of civilian casualties in the densely-populated coastal sliver has provoked widespread outrage around the globe.

A fierce controversy has also broken out over the alleged use of white phosphorus, also known by the military as WP or Willie Pete, by the Israeli army in Gaza.

The International Criminal Court prosecutor, meanwhile, said Wednesday that it lacks jurisdiction to investigate war crimes allegations against Israel.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=82 ... =351020202

[Travis]

That's not called a truce or a ceasefire. Its called a defeat. Dumb fucks!